The Gentleman Cadet Part 10

that was sounded five minutes before parade. On the second bugle sounding the cadets rushed out of the "division," as it was termed, in which we were quartered, and fell in in two ranks, in front of the building, whilst I was told to "fall in" in rear, as I was in plain clothes.

When the names of the cadets had been called by Holms, who was corporal on duty, we were marched to the middle of the parade, where soon after three other divisions were marched, and we there waited till an officer came on parade. Whilst we were waiting I could not avoid noticing that I was an object of general attention. I was the only cadet in plain clothes, for the boys who had pa.s.sed with me were already in uniform, and were also well on with their drill. That I had not joined with the others I soon learnt was a most unfortunate circ.u.mstance; amidst the crowd I should then have shared with others the unpleasant notice that a neux usually attracted, but now I was one only, and distinctly marked in consequence of not being in uniform.

After being inspected by an officer, parties of cadets were sent to various drills under soldiers who were corporals or sergeants. I had the special attention of a bombardier devoted to me, who commenced by instructing me in the mysteries of "Stand at ease!" and "Attention!"

These commands the man shouted at me as though I were deaf, or were half a mile from him; and the commands were p.r.o.nounced as "Stand at-- hease!"--"'Shon!"

An hour of this drill convinced me that it was not such an easy thing to stand at ease as people imagined, and that a man taken from the plough had a very difficult task before him to learn his drill.

Upon being dismissed from my drill, I was going to walk about the parade a little, but I soon heard my name shouted by Snipson from the room I was appointed to. Upon entering the room Snipson said, "You're a cool kind of a fellow, swaggering about on parade! You just come here instantly after you're dismissed your drill, every day! Now get my basin filled with water?"

"Where is your basin?" I inquired.

"Where is my basin? Why, go and find it, and look sharp, or I will give you a licking?"

I glanced all round the room, but saw no sign of a basin, so concluded it must be outside. I opened the door, and saw opposite to me four large tin basins. Rejoicing in my luck in finding the basins, I stooped down and selected one, which I was about to take into my room, when I heard a shout close beside me, and saw Timpson in a great rage glaring at me. "You're the coolest young ruffian I ever saw!" said Timpson.

"What do you mean by taking my basin?" No sooner had he uttered these words than he lifted his leg and gave me a kick, in much the same manner as though I had been a football.

"Drop that basin?" shouted Timpson; "and if I ever catch you touching it again I'll half kill you!"

"What! in trouble again?" said Snipson, who had now come to the door.

"Serve you right! what a donkey you are! Don't you see our basins are round here?"

I now saw that there were three basins on the left-hand side of the door of our room, which I had overlooked when I first went out. I lifted one of these, and, taking it into the room, placed it on the table--the only place that it seemed possible to wash on.

"Fat the basin in the proper place!" said Snipson. "You're the greatest idiot I ever saw."

I looked round, and, seeing only a stool, was about to put the basin there, but was warned I was wrong by the whiz of a clothes-brush close beside my head.

"You don't mean to tell me you can't see where the basin is to go?" said Snipson. "Don't try to make yourself out a fool, for that won't do."

I now saw under the window a hanging-shelf, which I raised and propped up with two iron legs. On this I placed the basin, and then went outside for a can of water I had seen beside our door.

"That's not my basin!" said Snipson, on my entering. "You don't think I'm such a dirty brute as to wash in another man's basin? That's Holms'--bring mine!"

"How am I to know your basin?" I inquired.

"Why, find out, to be sure!"

I was at a loss to find out, but, thinking it better to bring both in, I did so, and placed them on the shelf.

"That's mine!" said Snipson, pointing to one of the basins; "now mind you never make a mistake again!"

I looked carefully at the basin, but could see no difference between this and either of the others, and I concluded that Snipson was joking, as they all appeared similar.

Holms now came in, and, thinking I would at once make myself useful, I placed a basin for him near Snipson's.

"That's not my basin?" said Holms. "Give me the other!"

I was now certain there must be some distinguis.h.i.+ng mark, but I could see none, and was much puzzled how I should again distinguish one from the other. A bugle again sounded, and I ascertained this was the warning-bugle for dinner-parade. Our division fell in in front of the building as before, the names of the cadets were called, and we were then marched into the inner square, where an officer came, and, having heard the cadets were all present, gave the word, "Right face! quick march!"

I was in the rear of the division, and dressed in plain clothes; my hat was what modern slang would term "a top hat," and what in those days we called "a beaver." This beaver I was rather proud of; it was only the second one I had possessed, a cap having previously done duty for the covering of my head. As I approached the dining-hall, a cadet who was a neux in my division whispered to me, "Look out for your hat!" Thinking that this meant that my hat might be spoilt if I let it rest on the floor instead of hanging it up, I said, "All right!" and marched on in the crowd of cadets, who now broke their ranks as they entered the portico leading to the hall.

Suddenly, and without any warning, a heavy blow was given on the top of my hat, which sent it down over my ears and eyes, and at once prevented me from seeing anything. As I raised my hands to force the hat up, half-a-dozen more blows were showered on my head with no light hand. I succeeded in pus.h.i.+ng off my hat, the crown of which was knocked in, but could not see who had struck me--all the cadets looking much amused, but no one appearing to have been the guilty party.

Every cadet at once sat down at a table, there being about twenty tables in the hall; but, being uncertain where I ought to go, I stood in the middle of the hall, a mark for compressed b.a.l.l.s of bread, a shower of which quickly rained around and on me.

The officer on duty, who had been detained outside to speak to a cadet, now came into the hall, and each cadet stood as rigid as a statue till the officer, calling to the senior cadet, said, "Say grace?"

The senior cadet in a loud voice shouted, "For what we're going to receive may we all be thankful!" and the cadets then sat down.

I had remained standing all this time, and the officer, now remembering me, came up and said, "You take a seat at this squad."

I sat down at the squad where there were four cadets on each side, and one old cadet at the head of the table; they were all strangers to me, and I looked all round the hall to find Fraser or the others of Mr Hostler's who had come up for examination, but I could see none of them.

"Now then, sir," said the head of the dinner-squad, "how much longer are you going to stare about before you peel the potatoes?"

I was surprised at this request, but the cadet opposite me pushed a plate of potatoes towards me that had been boiled with their jackets on, and signed to me that I was to peel these for the head of the squad. I commenced the operation, but was very clumsy at it, never having attempted such a performance before. I finished, however, after a fas.h.i.+on, and pa.s.sed the plate up the table, and received in exchange a plate of meat which the cadet at the head of the table had cut for me.

"Snooker! beer!" said the cadet.

I saw a large jug of beer and a small mug near it, so I tilted up the jug and poured out a mugful of beer and pa.s.sed this up the table.

When the cadet saw this he said, "What do you mean, sir, by pouring out my beer like that! Put it back and froth it! By Jove! if ever you pour out beer like that again I'll have you over to my room and give you an angle of forty-five!"

I poured back the beer into the jug, and again filled the mug, this time taking care to froth it.

The meat that we had for our dinner was hard and tasteless, and was of a most inferior description. Our meal consisted only of meat, potatoes, bread, and the thinnest of beer, termed "swipes." In those days the food of the cadets was scarcely fit to eat, the tea and coffee were most inferior, and the ration of bread and b.u.t.ter allowed us scarcely sufficient for half the number. That an alteration in this particular was much needed was not long after discovered, but, at the time of which we write, the cadets could scarcely have lived had it not been for the additional food they obtained from pastrycooks in the neighbourhood, or that was smuggled into barracks at various times.

After our dinner a quarter of an hour elapsed before we "fell in" for academy. Luckily I found Jenkins, a boy from Hostler's, who had gone to the Academy a half-year before, who told me that I joined the last squad or division which was now termed "a cla.s.s," otherwise I should have made a mistake.

The cla.s.s I joined was called the fourth cla.s.s, and on a cadet, who was a corporal, reporting "all present," we were marched into the cla.s.s-room where we were to study.

On looking round at my companions I now found that I recognised several cadets as the candidates who came up for examination with me, and one or two nodded to me, but as we were ordered by the corporal who was in charge of the room to take our seats, I had no opportunity of talking to them. I looked round the room to find some of my companions at Hostler's; I thought it would be great fun to see their surprise at my having pa.s.sed. I expected to see Fraser high up in the cla.s.s, and also Fuller and Hunt, and one or two others who at Hostler's were in the first cla.s.s, and were always held up to me as examples of learning. Low down in the cla.s.s I saw a cadet who had been at Hostler's; he was called Smart, and was considered rather a dull boy; but, seeing none of the others, I concluded they must be in some other room.

As I was re-examining my companions, the cadet in charge called out, "Shepard, look to your front! If I see you locking round again I'll put you in arrest?"

I now sat looking straight before me, until called by the mathematical master to the octagon, where I was given some work to do, and again took my place at my desk.

On coming out of academy I met Smart, who hook hands with me and congratulated me on pa.s.sing. "It's quite wonderful," he said; "and Hostler, I hear, is tearing his hair with rage at it, for he laughed at the idea of your having a chance."

"Where is Fraser," I inquired, "and Fuller, and all those fellows that came up?"

"They are all spun, and I'm the only one from Hostler's who has pa.s.sed this time. Fraser now is too old, even if he could get another trial, which he can't. I often thought I could beat Fraser and Hunt at exams, for they used to cram fearfully--but how you must have worked!"

"Well, I didn't seem to work so much," I replied, "though I got on very fast. It was Mr Rouse's style of teaching that was so good."

"Hostler says you are certain to be spun at your probationary, as you must have been crammed just for this examination."

"What is a probationary?"