As he spoke he went to the door, and blew an old silver boatswain’s whistle, when work was dropped, and the men came running up quickly from furnace, and out of the pit and stone-breaking sheds, till ten stout work-stained fellows stood in a row, showing the effect of the drill and discipline already brought to bear.
“Like the old days on the quarter-deck,” said my father to Bob Chowne. “Now, Sep, serve out the arms.”
I had done this several times before, and rapidly handed to each man his cutlass and belt, which was as quickly buckled on. Then one each was given to Bob Chowne and Bigley, and I was left without.
“Humph, twelve,” said my father counting, as he saw me unarmed. “You can take that new sword, Sep.”
I could not help feeling pleased, for this was the officer’s sword which had come down with the others; and as I buckled on the lion-headed belt I had hard work to keep from glancing at Bob Chowne, who, I knew, would feel disgusted.
There was no time wasted, for my father at these drills kept up his old sea-going officer ways; and in a few minutes we were formed into two lines before him, opened out, proved distance with our swords, so as to have plenty of room, and not be likely to cut each other; and there for a good hour the sun flashed on the blades, as the sword exercise was gone through, with its cuts, points, and guards, the men taking to it eagerly as a pleasant change from the drudgery of the mine, and showing no little proficiency already.
“There,” said my father at last, after the final order to sheathe swords had been given. “Break off. No pistol practice to-day. Your hands will be unsteady.”
“Always the way!” I heard Bob Chowne grumble. “I stopped on purpose to have a bit of pistol-shooting, and now there’s none. See if I’d have stayed if I had known.”
I had to run to the door of the great stone-built counting-house and receive the swords as the men filed up, and for the next ten minutes I was busy hanging all in their places.
When I had finished the men had all gone back to their work, and after a look round, my father said a few words to a big black-looking Cornishman, who had lately been selected as foreman from his experience about mines, locked up the counting-house, and turned to us.