"Boys, Providence has sent him here to be kicked, and shall we dispute the wisdom of Providence? I'll see to it, you fellows; and now, unless somebody's got credit with my future wife for the drinks, let us close the exercises by singing in a loud voice the words of that venerable summons known as the 'General Salute.'"
So the boys took up the goodly measure to a strenuous accompaniment of beaten pans in an uproar worthy of Pandemonium—
"Now here comes the Gen-e-ral, all venom and spleen,
And he rides like a sack, with a string round the middle, Oh
His head's full of fea-thers, and his heart's all woe,
So 'present' while the band plays 'God save the Queen!'"
CHAPTER III
"Soldier, soldier, where are your breeches, pray?
Soldier, soldier, get up and dust;
Where the deuce have you hidden your brains away?
Soldier, soldier, get up and dust.
Busted the bugler? Send him to hospital;
Can't you shut up that confounded row?
Show a leg, and no damned profanity—
Get out and sweat for a shillin' a day."
When the bugle had concluded making these remarks, when the echoes of the hills were calling back their greeting, the valley stirred under its blanket of mist, the Alps blushed red to the sun's first kiss, and the shadows of night ran to covert among the scented pines. The bugler was raking up a fire in front of the guard-tent with a view to his morning coffee, the picket was lounging drowsily home from the horse lines, and from every tent came sleepy execrations.
"Show a leg there! Get a move on you! Who the —— told you to tread on my legs! Réveille! Oh, give us a rest; who said Réveille?"
The bugler sounded "Dress!" and there was a further stirring as though half the tents would be overthrown. One by one the canvas flaps were thrown open, as men came out with their towels in search of tin basins generally mislaid. Then, it seemed but a few minutes afterwards, the bugler set the brazen tormentor to his lips to call stables—
"Oh, come to the stables and water your horses,
And groom them a little and give them some hay,
Groom them damned little and give them bad hay,
Government grooming and Government hay;
For if you don't do it the Colonel will know it,
Then orderly-room—and the devil to pay."