‘You are a goot lad,’ he cried, ‘and, for a horse-soldier, fought quite pravely. You would almost do for a Fusilier.’
‘Shure now, you’re jokin’,’ said Larry, tipping a wink at Sergeant Linham; ‘I’d never be able to grow feet big enough.’
The sergeant might have made some fiery answer; but his major, who came up at the moment, stopped all further exchange of pleasantries by saying that he would himself bring over the sergeant and the other men of his regiment in the morning.
Sergeant Linham and Larry, after dropping in at the canteens of various regiments, found Andrew M’Farlane and the other artillerymen, and all was ready for the morning.
When Jack and Will came up in due course before the colonel, the major of the Fusiliers, who had arrived with his men and the artillerymen, begged to be allowed to say a few words, and the tale he told was such that it at once altered the aspect of affairs.
The two trumpeters were liberated, the colonel saying they had behaved as he hoped men of his regiment always would, by taking the part of the weaker against the stronger.
Corporal Napper was then arrested, tried by summary court-martial, and reduced to the ranks.
This Jack could not pretend to be sorry for, though, as he said to Will, ‘I would rather he had kept his stripes and been made to give up Dainty; the poor mare is only a shadow of what she used to be.’
Next morning Will was put in orders as corporal and orderly to the colonel, vice Samuel Napper reduced, and Jack hastened off to congratulate his friend.
‘It’s the first step up the ladder,’ he said, ‘and no one deserves it better than you; before we get home you’ll be sergeant.’