"That was a man!" said Hans. "Such a face you never saw on any man. When he looked at you it was as if he would eat you in one bite. And such a nose between the eyes! You are looking at me, well, for a common soldier I have been specially well favored. But the Prince of Gustenberg he had a nose that shouted 'Get out of my way.' And therefore they did get out of his way too, wherever he showed himself. Such another man we've never had in Norway, neither before nor since his time. God bless him where he lies, and God punish those who laid him there!"
"Aren't you ashamed? The Prince of Augustenburg never swore, I'm sure," said Viggo.
"You think so, you little cub? But it is true, he never did," said Hans. "But that is because a general does not need to, it does not become him, but for the common man it is just as necessary as to drink whiskey."
This did not prove anything to Viggo, on the contrary he said it was a shame to do either.
"A shame?" said the Grenadier. "Do you know what the Prince of Gustenberg said when he spoke in front of the troops? 'One thing is a shame,' said he, 'and that is to turn your back before retreat is called.' And now you know what is a shame, my boy!"
Viggo understood well enough that it was no use to discuss such a matter with the old Grenadier, so he sat silent a little while.
"Have you never known a little boy to become a general?" he asked at last. "No, I haven't but I have known a drummer boy who became a sergeant. He was not much bigger than you; but that was a lively youngster! He could do everything you can think of. He could beat the drum equally well standing on his head or on his legs. There was one thing though that was very hard for him to do and that was to beat 'Retreat.' On the drill ground he knew it as well as his A-B-C's, but when he smelled the enemy's powder he seemed to forget all about it. The captain had to give him a rap or two before he could remember it again. But 'Forward March' he knew how to drum, he never forgot that, and sometimes he beat that instead of 'Retreat,' and when the captain got angry he made the excuse that he did not hear, the guns made so much noise about him, he said. Usually he wasn't punished either, because he had once saved the captain's life with a snowball."
"With a snowball?" said Viggo.
"Yes, I said snowball, you little cub, he did not use greater means. We were rushing up a hill with the enemy in front of us. It was in winter, with deep snow and thawing too. The captain and the drummer boy led the march, eight or ten steps in front of us. But as soon as they came to the top of the hill there stood the enemy in line. 'Aim!' commanded the enemy's officer and all the guns pointed right at the captain. Quick as lightning the drummer boy grabbed a handful of snow and made a snowball and, just as the blue-jacketed donkey opened his mouth to say 'Fire!' the drummer boy threw the snowball straight into the open mouth. He was speechless for a moment and stood there mouth wide open. Well then the rest of us arrived and we had a hot fight."
"Then was he made a sergeant?" asked Viggo.