The men were told they could ‘stand easy,’ and several wandered off a little way among the trees. Larry and Jack walked towards a spot where wild-flowers were growing in great luxuriance; and, plucking some of these, they wandered farther on till they had got some distance from their regiments.
Presently they came in sight of two tall pine-trees with thin trunks, and they looked at these, then at each other, then both burst out laughing.
‘Bedad, I wonder whether yer thoughts is the same as mine?’ laughed Larry.
‘I was thinking it was years since I climbed a tree,’ said Jack.
‘And never since I left the dear ould counthry have I rivalled the monkeys,’ said the impetuous Irishman. ‘Jack darlint, I’ll race yez up to the top, and the last one up shall stand the other a dhrink of porter the first toime we ever set foot in a canteen again.’
‘Done!’ said Jack, and in a few moments Lancer and Hussar had doffed headdress, sword, and instruments, and were climbing for dear life.
Larry went up as nimbly as a monkey, and out-stripped Jack.
‘Hurroo,’ he cried, ‘I’ve beaten yez!’
‘You have, Larry,’ panted Jack; ‘I give you best. But what a fine view we can get from here! Why, there’s the edge of the forest, and the road, and’——
‘Howly Moses, look there to yer left!’ cried Larry, almost dropping from his perch in his excitement.