The chapters were written from day to day, and published from month to month. Consequently, prophecy is occasionally falsified, and opinions moderated, in subsequent pages.
The characters are entirely fictitious, but the incidents described all actually occurred.
BOOK ONE
BLANK CARTRIDGES
The First Hundred Thousand
I
AB OVO
"Squoad—'Shun! Move to the right in fours. Forrm—fourrrs!"
The audience addressed looks up with languid curiosity, but makes no attempt to comply with the speaker's request.
"Come away now, come away!" urges the instructor, mopping his brow.
"Mind me: on the command 'form fours,' odd numbers will stand fast;
even numbers tak' a shairp pace to the rear and anither to the right.
Now—forrm fourrs!"