Captain Trebizondi remembered his parade-manners and threw a chest instead of a stomach.
The jerk caused his helmet to tilt forward over his eyes and settle down slowly and firmly upon his face as a fallen cliff upon the beach beneath.
"The Officer commanding the leading company appears to be trying to hide," commented General Murger.
Captain Trebizondi uncovered his face—a face of great promise but no performance.
"Will you march your company off, sir," shouted Colonel Dearman, "the battalion is waiting for you."
With a look of reproachful surprise and an air of "Why couldn't you say so?" the harassed Captain agitated his sword violently as a salute, turned to his company and boomed finely:—
"March off!"
The Company obeyed its Commander.
Seeing the thing so easy of accomplishment Captains Allessandropoulos, Schloggenboschenheimer, Da Costa, Euxino, Spoophitophiles and José gave the same order and the battalion was in motion—marching to its front in quarter-column instead of wheeling off in fours.
Unsteadily shoulder from shoulder,
Unsteadily blade from blade,
Unsteady and wrong, slouching along,
Went the boys of the old brigade.