Short Story

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 378, 6 August 1903, Page 7

Short Story

Ihe recruiting sergeants sat silent round the fire in the cosy parloi of tie Magnet late one cold December afternoon. There were'three of them —fiae big, hardy, jaunty fellows, whose figures and uniforms were like a mutual admiration society, the one showing off the other to the beat advantage. Sound and about the highways and byways of the famous old town they had separately tramped that day, with eyes <|p.the rove for possible recruits, lingering here and there where men m?st did congregate, and making calls at many houses of public refreshment where, if there happened to be no customers anxious to take uniform, there was always a buxom landlady or pert barmaid ready and willing to admire the wearer of one; Bntfortune, for one day at least, had not favoured the bravo, and when the three returned to headquarters at the Magnet at daek the army had not gained a single hew recruit. So they called for lights and glasses, ordered dinner for a certain iim?, and toasted th'msolves before the fire until it was ready. Jim was the first to break the moody silence. He was the youngest and moat frivolous of the three. 'Toat barmaid at the£io» ia-a clinkir/ fine gal,' he remarked, to start an agreeable conversation, 'So'gher sister, at the George,' added Jerry. I ' Ah! but did youever know the mother, an used to keep the Ship?' queried N--d, the eldest cf the trio. ' Now, she was a fine figure of a woman, if you like. A regular recruiting orfcer, she was. I know a few men who joined the army just because she was so fond of the red coat' ' If only the Gov'ment would take gals!' said Jim, regretfully. 'I could have raised a whole comp'ny to day.' The other two laughed, knowing their comrades weakness. 'That*d be raising the divil with a vengeance/ commented Ned. The. con venation was interrupted by the door being pushed rudely open, and a well-dressed young fellow, with a fresh, smooth face, swaggered in, whistling, and threw his hat and stick noisily on to the table. ■ Deuced cold!' he remarked, taking a chair next to Ned. 'l'm chilled to the marrow. Hello! you're recruiting sergeants, aren't you ?* ' Oat of employment' said Jim, jocosely. ' Well, I'm dashed 1' said the newcomer, half to himself. 'lt is uncommonly strange.' ' What is ?' asked Nad, eyeing the speaker closely. ' Oh! Why, you being recruiting officer.*, I suppose/ was the reply, ' Here, what are you drinking?* he asked, suddenly rememb3ring something as he noticed Jerry drain his glass and ring for the landlord * I'll pay my footing, you know.' * Very good of you, sir,' said Jerry. 'Not at all,' returned the young man; 'glad of your company. Here's to the army and all good fellows,' he said, raising his glass, ' Including yourself, sir,' added Ned. • 'Ear, 'ear !' said the others, and the toast was drunk, ' What ia there strange about our being recruiting orfcersf' asked Ned, presently. 'Nothing particularly strange about that,' answerad the other; * only I happened to be thinking of the army just before I came in.' The three soldiers winked furtively at each other. ' Ah!' said Ned, 'if s a grand profession for a young fellow that*s got any spirit in him. You ain't thinking of joining yourself, sir, are yon ?' •Well/ replied the other, 'fact w, I was thinking I mig-ht do worse.' 'Bravo!' exclaimed the two younger soldiers. 'Tou couldn't do better,' said Ned, approvingly. «A fine strapping young gentleman like you (for anybody can see you are a young gentleman) wouldn't gtop in the ranks long.' 'Ob, ahr returned the youth, with a knowing gesture. ' I know all that sort of gammon. . You needn't try to corns it over me. I'm not a country clodhopper, you know.*" ~: v Ned winked/in admiring fashion. 'You're fly, you are/ he said. 'I might have known that wasn't the sort of bait for a well eduojted«soung fellow like you. But it's a habit, you know. You've seen the world a bit, you have, I'll warrant.' * •Just a bit/1 think' 'Ah!' said Ned, 'you're not the first gentleman that's been down on bis luck tor a time and joined the ranks in spite of the old man/ ' Why, how-—' began the youth. 'Oh, I know,' continued the old soldier.

' You needn't tell me. Been sowing your wild oats, hey ?—like the rest of them, The guv'nor won't brass up, and you'll nevtr darken his doors again. You join the ranks, and the guv'nor soon comes round, buys you cut and makes you an orfcer. Hey ?' • Well, you're a 'cute one, you are,' said the youth. 'Youarn't far off the mark. Have a cigar ?* • Thanks Now as to a regiment,' said Ned 'Gammon apart, and speaking as man to man (•Certainly,' said tie youth), I should recommend the Koyal Parples. Ther*s some blood in that regiment—ever so many of them gentlemen down on theii luck. JN'one of your street scrapings there. There's more i Jncers come out of the ranks of the Boyal Purples than anywhere,' 'Of course,' said the youth, 'I want to join a crack regiment, but it must be a cavalry regiment. I've always been" used to riding horses, you know.' Ned shook his head at this, and his comrades murmured in disapproval. Men % were not particularly required for cavalry regiments jut then, and the sergeants' endeavours had been to enlist material for foot regiments only, • Take my advice and don't go cavalry,' •aid Jerry. And Jim advised likewise. • *Oh, I don't know,' said Ned; 'a cavalry regiment'aallright, so far as that goes—but not for you, but.' •WhyrndtP l ' Because there's a sight too much horse,' replied Ned, ' You're got to clean them, you know', as well as ride them, and there's no end Jo the work they make." A ycung gentleman like jou doesn't want to torn groom and stable-boy and be rubbing down a big cavalry horse two or three times a day, besides always cleaning and

The New Recruit.

polishing the harness, and all the reat of it Of course, if a man's going to be an cffl :er, and fond of horses, I say join a cavalry regiment, because they make the best show, and an orfcer always has hie servant. Bat while you are in the ranks, I say keep clear of the cavalry.' •There's something in that, too,* commented the youth. 'I should object to cleaning out a stable.' •Course" you would/ agreed Ned; 'it ain't a gentleman's work.' ' What*s that regiment you mentioned just now ? The Royal Purples, wasn't it? Is it a—a real crack regiment ?' 'A crack regiment I Why, you must know its record,' .said Ned, .exhibiting surprise. • It's the flower of the British Army. Ain't it got the name of everj battle of the laet two hundred years on Ha regimental coloure? ask tho3e chapa if you want to know. But I'd better tell you it's rather an exclusive raiment, and I don't know for certain if I could get you in. But therms the Yellows and the Blacks —both good regiments.' * I prefer the Purples" said the youth. 'lt teems to be a crack regiment, and if I can't j >:n a crack regiment I'll remain a civilian.' 'I» don't know/ Baid Ned, dubiously; •but I'll try, anyhow.' ' • make a bargain,' said the youth. •You get me in.that retfiniant, and I'll give you a fiver the day I sign on.' Ned reflected for a moment. 'Dane!' he said presently. 'lf there's any chance at all, the fiver's mine. I'll take the word of a gentleman. I wi3h I could pick up men like you every day.' And so Ned bagged the only recruit of thi day. and waß mightily pleasod about it. 'We're going to have supper, Mr. Fits - gerald. Perhaps you'd like to handle a knife and fork with us.' 'Ob, with pleasure,' agreed Mr. Fitzgerald ; * nothing I should like better. No, begad! I won't. look hete, I'll stand a champagne supper to-night, just to calebrate the occasion. WeM make a night of it.' Tae three sergeants joyfully leapsd at the suggestion, but the next moment their jtws dropped. 'Lord!' said the youth, with his hands in his pocxete, ' I've only got a solitary sovereign. I forgot I was bo short. 1 . There was silence for a few seconds, and then the youth had an idea. He slowly took a diamond ring from h;a finger and held.it out, 'lf'one of you wouldn't mind going to •Uncle's' and getting me fifteen pounds on this,' he said. The sergeants looked incredulous. 'No gammon ?' queried JerryJ 'Certainly not. If a worth more than that, and I hardly like parting with it, but it will have to go sooner or later.' «I'll go,'said Jerry, and forthwith departed with the ring flashing on his finger. While he was gOHe the youth ordered such a princely spread that the mouths of the two soldiers fairly watered in anticipation P/esently Jerry returned with the ring still on his finger. * The old Jew won't go more than ten on it. He says it's a good ring, bub he wouldn't go fifteen, so I brought it back.' The youth appeared perplexed. * What am Itodo ?' he asked. ' I don't care to take a tenner for it; it cost mere than double that.' 'Try somewhere else,' suggeated Jim, who wanted hia sapper. ' I wonder if you fellows could raise ten pounds for me somewhere jast for tonight,' said the youth; 'only for to-night, I'll get the fifteen right enough to-morrow and pay you back.' He put the ring on Jerry's finger. 'You keep that as a guarantee of good faith—only don't part with it* The guarantee was sufficient, and under the circumstancee, with a champagne supper within their grasp, the sergeants were willing. It took them an hour to raise the sum required, but raise it they did, and it was duly handed over, and the supper • served in all its steaming glory. To say that the evening was an immense, rollicking success ia a mild way of expressing it. The Boyal Purples and the new recruit were toasted over and over again, and, to keep things going, every regiment ip the British Army was toasted one after another. The fetsivities ended when the landlord (as he said) had run out of champagne, and the four friends were helped separately to bed, addressing each other as-? General.' ** • •:'

It was late the next mbraifig'when the four swelled heads met in the parlour agaiß and had a pick-me-up apiece at the expense of the new reoiuit. ' I t suppose the first thing is to settle that five pounds you borrowed,' said the youth, 'You've got the ring, haven't you ?' Jerry showed it on his finger. *To tell you the truth,' said tie owner of it, *I don't care about hawking the thing all round the place. Anyone ought to lend fifteen on it, but the difference is only a fiver, and it isn't worth the fag. Ask the old Jew if he'll split the difference, Jjrry. If he won't, take the ten, and be d d to him.' Jerry promised to do his best, and set out on his second journey to the pawnbroker's. Then the youth bad another idea. ' What « silly ass' I am/ he exclaimed, *to think of pawning it. I don't suppose I should ever trouble to get it out again. The thing to do is to sell it outright, I could get a couple of tenners taat way.'

Ned and Jim saw the force of this at once, and the youth hurried after Jerry to give him fresh instructions. The two soldiers, left. alone, discussed the new recruit somewhat freely, and found much amusement in the discussion—especially Ned, who promised to stand his two comrades another supply out of the five pounds he was to win by getting Mr. Fitzgerald in the Boyal Parples. He thought—and Jim quite agreed wibb him —that there was every prospect of getting the young man in that very exclusive regiment. Jerry reached the pawnbroker's before the youth caught him up, and puttiHg the ring on the counter, invited the pawnbroker to Bplit the difference 'I asked fifteen, and you cffered ten. Say twelveten, and it's done. Come, now, you can do that' But the pawnbroker was obdurate, and would not advance a halfpenny more thaH his first cffer, and after vainly hag. gling for some minutea Jerry agreed to take the ten. But the old Jew, &b Jerry called him, who had been twirling the ring about in his fingers, examinsng it closely, had reconsidered hia offer. He put the ring on the counter again and pushed it towards Jerry. 'I would not give ycu a shilling on it,' he said. Jerry could acareelj trust his ears for a

moment. Then a half-formed, awful suspicion took possession-of him, and he broke into a cold perspiration and avariotyof oaths. ' Didn't you aay you'd give me tea on it ?' he demanded. •But not on this ring,' said th* pawnbroker, Bmiling; 'not for thia one. This is another one. what yon call a duplicate—a copy. It ia an excellent copy indeed, but" it ia sot the earne ring, and I would not advance you a shilling—no, indeed, I could not lend you sixpence on it.' Then the awfol truth flashed upon Jerry, and he raced for dear life back to the inn; but. of courae, the bird was flown —probably to seek green woods and pastures new. The tragedy realised in all its nakedness, the three comrades, sworn to everlasting secrecy, stayed in the place long enough to pay all outstanding debts, then shook the duat of the ungodly tiwn from their shoes and departed from it—more in anger than sorrow.—P. E, Haill.