"Well," he said, "I'm off to the canteen."
"Don't be a fool! Come and play poker in my tent."
"What's the use?" The Blackguard laid his hand on Dandy's shoulder. "You're a good fellow. I know jolly well what you mean, but I've got a devil—Good-night—and an appointment with Mother Darkie."
Then the Corporal turned sorrowfully away.
CHAPTER II
"Women and wine and war!
War and wine and love!
With a sword to wear, and a steed to ride,
And a wench to love—give me nought beside,
But a bottle or so at the eventide:
Women and wine and war!
Women and wine and war!
War and wine and love!
Oh, war's my trade, and wine's my play,
Wine crown the night, and war the day—
With a kiss or so in a casual way:
Women and wine and war!
Women and wine and war!
War and wine and love!
Here's a broken head, and a drunken spree,
And the blue-eyed wench deserted me,
Go! lecture the woman, and let me be:
Women and wine and war!"
So sang the Blackguard, while all his riotous gang roared out the chorus, and Mother Darkness, perched on the bar with my Lord of Misrule's big arms about her waist, rocked to and fro, crying "Lordy! Lordy!" at intervals.