Chapter I. The Captain and the Recruit,

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 42

Chapter I. The Captain and the Recruit,

PROLOGUE. It was (he calmest, the most peaceful, tbe most blesßed of all the 24 hours of a hotweather day in India. i Dinner was over, and most of the officers of ! H.M. Hampshire Hussars, stationed at Poonah, were in the mers verandah lying back iv easy chairs, upon the long arms of which their legs were upraised, Trichinopoly cheroots in their mouths, eilently and luxuriously enjoying the I comparative coolness of the evening after a long, hot day. Their own eass and enjoyment were enhanced rather than marred by ttie olick of billiard balls and the loud laughter of three or four newly-joined subs whioh issued from tbe brilliantly-lighted billiard room on the one side, and by an occasional murmur of, " Clubs are trumps," or "Double, single, and the rub," from the oard room on the other side, where four hardened veterans were playing their nightly game of whist;. At length one of these loungers slowly withdrew his cheroot from his mouth, and as he flipped the ash from its end and unbuttoned the last button of his waistcoat to allow his dinner to digest „with greater ease, he eaid lazily: ' " I have had a letter from the Honourable John." There was a general stir among the cilenfc smokers, as though the intelligence was one of in'erest, and then one asked : " Where is he, and when *i! 5 h>- join ? " " Well, he writes to me fioiuß mbay, whete he landed a few daya ago—he is vis.itiDg the deale.s' stables on the lookout for horses, and hopes to be up in a week pr two." Then after a pause he added, " He has asked me to engage a house for him and get in some necessary furniture from Peatonjee Bomaujee, I am thinking of taking old Brown's bungalow on the parade ground." •'Wants a bungalow?" cried a voice: "Wiafc's that for? There are his old quarters in the chummery ready for him!" ••Ah —but —you see," drawled the first speaker, "he can't (puff) live in the chummery now, you know'; he (puff) has got (puff) his wife with him." There was for a moment a dead silence—the silenoe of astonishment—and then cries broke from every lip; heat, digestion, ease—all, all were forgotten. " Honourable John married I" " Another good fellow spoiled ! " " What will the chief »ay ? " " Good Lord 1 we have been waiting for him to start the Gymkhana! " "I suppose wa may as well shot up the regimental theatro now! " and so on, a<» each considered his own particular fanoy, in all of which the Honourable John had been the prime mover and director. This outburst was followed by disparaging remarks upon his wife, until their lips wera closed by the first speaker saying: " Don't you fellows think you had better wait until you see the lady before you abusa her ? For my part, I hardly think that the Honourable John would choose a wife that would spoil sport."

The Hon. John, or, to give him his full title, the Hob. John Carr others, was junior captain of the Hampshire Hussars, and the younger sob of an Irish peer. Full of life and energy, sporting bob of a Bporting father, babbling over with Irish fun, he was the heart and soul of the regiment— the prime mover in picnics and balls, promoter of polo' matches, oricket matches, shooting matches ; president of the Gymkhana and regimental theatre ; jook, aotor, and jolly good fellow ; it was no wonder that his brother officers should feel a pang of keen regret, and even of dread, when they heard that he had taken to himself a wife I Bat the fear was groundless. Beatrix Warrington, now Mrs Oarruthers, was of a kindred spirit to her husband. She had been, and still was, a laughter-loving, merry girl, in spite of a heavy sorrow whioh had lately overtaken her in the loss of her only brother, who had unaccountably disappeared from Cambridge. Beatrix Warrington and her brother George were the only children of a distinguished member of the Indian Civil Service, who, while commissioner of an important district, had died at his post during a severe epidemic of cholera. Their mother having died some years before their father, the little orphans were brought np by an elderly maiden sister of their father's. Aunt Maria was a well-meaning bat stern old lady. One of the eld school, and of strong Oalvinlstic tendencies, she believed in the repression of all childish fun and frolic. Loud and unrestrained laughteFor a game •of rompa was vnlgar and unladylike, visited with severe looks and even punishment ; bat in spite of all this repression the natural happy and genial temperament of the children would assert itself when removed from the stern eye of their annt, and the treatment they received only drew them nearer to each other. At length the time oame when it was necessary for George to complete his education at college, and he was entered as an undergraduate at. Trinity College, Cambridge. Before starting upon, his college career G«orge had a solemn interview -with Aunt Maria, who pointed oat to him the temptations which lay before him. She told him that in her belief the possession of money would only serve to lead him into a sinful, wasteful extravagance; she had therefore determined upon giving him an allowance of only £150 a year, oat of which he was to meet all his expenses, feeß, tutors, college bill, &c. "A sum amply sufficient, I understand, George," she said, " to meet all necessary expenses, but not enough to indulge in wine parties, horseracing, theatres, and such wicked amusements. You go to college to atudy, and not to play ; so remember, George, if you run into debt X shall not pay, and shall at once remove you from college. No debts, George, under pain of my severest displeasure," she added, holding up one finger and shaking it at him with her heaviest frown. George Warrington soon found that if he was to live within his allowance he would have to exercise not merely economy, but strict self-denial. During the first term he was successful in keeping out of debt, but during his second term his natural, mirthloving temperament drew him into a raokety set, and the opportunities for getting into debt being easy and pleasant, he forgot all Annt Maria's warnings and admonitions, and plunged Into enjoyments of all eorti—oazdplaying, betting, and billiard* Toll mnoh

his sister Beatrix knew, for he wrote to her ! fully and freely. Suddenly his letters ceased, and a letter was received from the head of the college stating that be had disappeared from Cambridge ; and that wan all. From that day nothing was heard of him. To do" her justice, Aunt Maria spared neither pains nor money in seeking for him. Detectives and private inquiry agents had done all they could to find him, bnt without avail. At the time of her marriago, her brother George had j been dead to Beatrix for about 18 months, I and she began to fear that he was dead in truth whan no notioo v?r« taken by him of the many loving adversi.-cawrD she had iugerted in the papers after her marriage. Captain Oarruthers and his wife arrived in due course at regimental headquarters, and once more he took command of O Troop. The following day, after a long talk on troop matters with his troop sergeant-major, ho concluded by saying : " Oh, by the bye, sergeant-major, I shall want a batman to clean my accoutrements and give an eye to my stable. Just pick me out the smartest man in 0 Troop, will you?" " That will be Private George Simpson, sir. He is undoubtedly the smartest man we have." " George Simpson ? " returned the oaptaia. " I don't remember the name." 11 No, sir ; he has only lately arrived — one of the last batch of recruits from the depot, and yet he is the smartest man in the troop. I think he has known better days, sir. He goes by the name of ' Gentleman George ' among the men " " Ah, indeed, eergeant-major ; I don't care for decayed gentlemen in the ranks; they are generally a bad lot, and swipe." "Yes, sir," answered the eergeant-major, " that is my experience too, but not in this case. Private Simpson is both steady and smart." " Well, then, * send him up, sergeantmajor." " All right, sir," he returned, bringing his band up to the salute, and then turning on his heels, with clanking sabre, jingling spurs, and the true cavalry swagger, the sergeantmajor marched off to the barracks. During the day he sent for George Simpson, and presently there stepped into the verandah of the sergeant's quarters a finelooking young seldier, dressed in a pair of regimental overalls, his braoes hanging by his side, a clean white shirt on, tbe sleeves rolled up to his shoulder, displaying from the wrist up an arm, muscular indeed, but white as milk and & skin smooth as satin. Throwing up bis hand in salute, he said: "The? tell me you want me, sergeantmajor." "RJght, Simpson; I sent for you. You know Captain Oarruthers has taken command of the troop. Well, I saw him this morning, and he bays he wants a batman. He told me to send him' the smartest man in O Troop, and I said that was you." . "Thank you, sergeant-major, for the compliment," returned Simpson, smiling, " but I don't seem to hanker after the post of batman to the captain. Ypu see I haven't much of the flankey about me." " Don't you be a fool, Gaorge Simpaon," said the sergeant-major impressively; "it'll take you off guard and sentry duty, aad if 1 any promotion is gciog it is always well to be under ihn offioer'a eye. Don't be a fool, my man." • "All right, sergeant-major; I withdraw what I said just now— l did not look at it in that light." "That's right, Simpson. Then up you go to-morrow morning to the captain's bungalow at 8 o'clock— he will be back from his morning's ride then— and report yourself for orders. That's all." , With another salute the trooper turned and lounged back to the barracks.