"Steady!"
But after all, so it fell out; and when the Band concert began, Magnus escorted Miss Dangleum through the shadows to where the light battery guns stood ready, helped her to mount a caisson, and was in close attendance till the drum beat. One of these old caissons was quite a favourite "box" with the girls.
"Beastly!" Rig declared it all, when he came off guard next day.
"I saw him having the spooniest sort of a time," said Randolph maliciously. "Chappy and the Kitten were on the next gun. I say, I'm tired walking post. I'm going to bone colours."
"Go in and win," Magnus admonished him.
"Well, you'll see," said Randolph. And to be sure, such a polishing of buttons, and rubbing up of arms, as followed were unknown before in Randolph's tent. Magnus declared that the buttons made him wink clear across A Company Street.
Just at the last possible moment before the critical guard-mounting, Randolph rushed in upon his two friends.
"Say, boys, lend me a pair of white trousers. I can't find any of mine that are fit to go with my buttons."
"Well, I've only one pair fit to go with mine," said Magnus. "Sorry! but they'd be too long for you."
"Rig's will do," said Randolph, making a dash at the pile of trousers. "Thanks awfully. My, how they shine!"