CHAPTER VI.
JACK MAKES A RESOLVE.
EVERY eye was at once riveted on the new-comer. Jack in particular stared at him, and in aftertimes he remembered his first impression of one by whose side he was fated to see many a wild scene, and more than once to stand face to face with death.
This man was dressed in the neat undress of the regiment, and the stripes on his arms and the gold trumpets proclaimed him to be a sergeant-trumpeter. He was thin, and a little knock-kneed, like one who has lived much in the saddle, which indeed he had. On his breast were two ribbons, showing he was one of the few proud possessors of war honours in the regiment. His face was like leather, both in colour and substance; he had a heavy black moustache, great, black bushy eyebrows, which stuck out from under his forage-cap, an enormous beak-like nose, and two little, beady black eyes, which gave him an eagle-like appearance. His uniform was spotless, stripes, facings, and gloves being snowy white, while his buttons quite glistened.
On entering the room he clicked his spurred heels together—one knee as he stood thus slightly overlapping the other—drew himself up to his full height, threw back his head, and glared angrily around.
Getting no answer to his question, Sergeant Linham inquired again in portentous tones, ‘Ha, hum! answer me at once; I want to know.’
‘It’s all right, sergeant,’ said Napper suavely, deftly throwing his whip behind him on to one of the beds, ‘I was just giving this new youngster a word of advice; he’s inclined to be cheeky.’
‘Bandsman Napper,’ said the sergeant, relaxing the tension of his muscles a little, ‘you’re not to give advice with your whip, ha, hum!’ and he cleared his throat, which he did regularly every few seconds while talking. ‘The Queen’s Regulations expressly forbid it; and remember that, all you toads.’
This was a favourite word with Sergeant Linham, every one who offended him in the least being a toad.
The ‘toads’ looked very demure, and began to busy themselves about the room.
Then the sergeant roared, ‘Shun!’