"WILL THE HEROIC."

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 336, 3 September 1898, Page 1 (Supplement)

"WILL THE HEROIC."

The army regulations lay stress on the necessity for men of the various ranks mixing only with their equals. Sergeants should walk with sergeants, corporals with corporals, and privates with privates. The rule is generally, but not strictly, adhered to. This tells of a case in which it was not observed.

Sergeant Richard Brandreth and Private Wilk enlisted v together. The sergeant was as upstanding and smart a young soldier as ever buckied on a belt, while the private seemed unable to rid himself of the gait and bearing of his Whitechapel youth. Why these two with no similar tastes or habits should form a close friendship, passed the understanding of even the old soldiers. The sergeant-major would have had that ' Queen's hard bargain,' as he called Wilk, out of the regiment had not Brandreth exerted his influence in order to save his friend. 'That Q.H.B. of yours is in the cells again,' said the sergeant-major to Brandreth one morning. ' I wish you'd leave him alone. I'd make his life unbearable and soon have him out of the regiment. He's spoiling all the young soldiers of B. Company. ' I don't know how you can care for the drunken, foulmouthed beast.' • I like the beggar, though I don't know why, myself. He's not a good soldier, but he's the best signaller I've got, and as signalling sergeant 1 don't want to lose him,' replied Brandreth. ' Well, the beggar likes you, in fact the only good about him is his apparent love for you, and I have doubts as to whether that is not mere selfishness.'

The regiment was transferred and stationed at Chelsea Barracks, and Wilk passed most of his time confined to barracks or under some other form of punishment. At last a change came. Wilk kept straight for a whole month, and even the sergeant-major had a pleasant word for him.

Meantime Brandreth had been improving his opportunities in London, and was seriously thinking of asking to be put on the married strength. Lottie Larkins was decidedly a pretty girl, and he had been walking out with her very frequently of late. The sergeant thought Lottie too good for a soldier's wife, and though he had not seen her home, he knew her parents must be very strict, for she always insisted on leaving him in time to be home by six o'clock in the evening. Finally he took courage and asked Lottie to be his wife. She did not seem to think herself above the positson of a sergeant's wife, so long as that sergeant was Dick ; but somehow or other the kiss she gave him at parting was unsatisfactory to Brandreth. The taste of it seemed to remain too long on his lip 3, and his moustache cried out at not having received its due. When a girl kisses for the first time she does not know how to get under a moustache ; that requires practice, and Brandreth intuitively guessed at this fact.

Returned to barracks, Brandreth found that he had to relieve a sergeant who had fallen sick. He had to take charge of one of the night pickets. As the pickets passed the Crown public house (officially declared out of bounds) Brandreth heard a loud noise in the private bar, and fearing that some soldiers might be causing mischief, he put his head into the door. His first glance showed him Lottie Larkins serving behind the bar; the next, that a number of men wearing the uniform of his regiment were evidently toasting a comrade. They were cheering vociferously. The picket entered the room and promptly cleared it. One man, Wilk, stayed to speak to the sergeant. ' Look here, Brandreth, yer might let us orf. We only come in for a drink and fer meter introduce my mates to Lottie as is goin' ter be my wife as soon as I can git the lance stripe.' ' What V said Brandreth. ' Lottie has promised to marry me. Is not that so, Lottie V Lottie looked grievously confused, and the enamoured Brandreth could see that Wilk had some cause for speaking as he did. ' I'm going to marry you, sergeant,' said Lottie. ' Blanky 'ell V said Wilk, ' and this 'ere's wot I've been keepin' strite for. Aint bin on the books fer a month. Course the bloorain' sergeant will git yer, Lottie. I knows yer bloomin' pub girls too well.' ' I don't know about that,' said Brandreth. 'I must report you all, for I can'c arrest a dozen men. Come on out, Wilk.' ' Er ! Yer bloomin' dooty is pleasant now, sergeant,' sneered Wilk. ' but look out, for I'll break yer teeth down yer throat fer stealin' my girl,' Wilk's explanation saved the men from punishment, as the colonel conGnfid his remarks to a lecture directed against married soldiers. For the next week Wilk seemed to have his time fully occupied with fighting. Any remark about Lottie always caused him to put up his hands, which challenge of the barrack room may not be refused by any British soldier. Brandreth did not see Lottie again ; and his patience in passing over the ' lip ' which Wilk gave him at, each signalling practice astonished every one. * Ordered to Egypt.' The words passed from man to man, Delight was depicted on every face. The Colonel smiled grimly and was par-

ticularly easy in the orderly room. The last joined recruit yelled 'Hurroo for the Fuzzies ! 'Ope we'll see some fun with 'em.' The barrack roums were filled with joyous shout?, and for once Thomas Atkins managed to collect, annex or (when absolutely pressed) buy any article necessary to complete his full kit. On the voyage out Wilk maintained his good behaviour. though the officers noticed that he obeyed Sergeant Brandreth in a slow, perfunctory, and surly manner. More than once the sergeant had to check the man. Often did the private threaten to ' 'ave a go' at the sergeant, till the men ceased to notice what they termed ' Wilk's gas.'

It is in the eternal fitness of things that the last regiment from home should be sent, by the general officer commanding, to bear the brunt of all the hot work of a campaign. The thousand and one small duties necessary for the safety of the front of an army are of course best performed by untried men. Men who have scarcely seen a shot fired in earnest, who are fresh from the nursemaids and servant girls of a garrison town, who can still remember the sound of their feet on the stone pavements and feel the taste of beer in their mouths, can perhaps best he spared, but can scarcely be expected to act with the coolness and judgment of the bronzed, weather-beaten, and blooded soldier, who has forgotten he was not born on the battlefield. Therefore the—feh were sent to the front and the colonel was proud of the fact. The officers mishandled the men, the sergeants came to think sleep a needless luxury, and the men learned new tactics of their own. The regiment was broken with overwork. The men gresv bad tempered as each new turn of duty brought them under the enemy's fire without giving them a chance to foul their own rifles in reply. In this condition a regiment is very dangereus when let loose on the enemy. It is more dangerous to its own friends if it be necessary to hold the regiment in a check.

B. and 0. companies were ordered to advance a few miles, and report the strength of the enemy in the immediate neighbourhood. ' Get well on either of their flanks,' said the colonel to Captains Harford and Berthland. ' You can easily know each other's movements by signalling. As soon as you've roused the niggers a little, fall back. Don't fight on any account. You're only to reconnoitre, you know. Bo careful not to get cut off, but get a good idea of their strength.' ' Go and work miracles,' was Gapt. Harford's only comment to his brother oflicer. It was a dark night, and the two companies soon lost sight and sound of one another. With B. company, which was gradually working towards the enemy's right flank, were sergeant Brandreth and private Wilk, who with another private made up the signalling party. For the first three miles the ground was sandy and very level, and the signallers of each company occasionally flashed their lamps in order to keep in touch. Stony ground was next encountered. Sand hills seemed to grow up around B. company. Brandreth had to report that he could not find C. company. '-he deuce,' muttered Capt. Harford, ' I ought to have been warned of this bad ground. Never mind, I must push on now.' As the company advanced the ground gradually grew rougher, and the silence was frequently broken by the fall of a man, followed by a low deep curse, till at length a hundred men, cursing and swearing, unmindful of formation or discipline, were picking their way over the stones. Capr. Harford groaned inwardly, but thought best to take no notice of the men so long as they pushed forward ; however, young Dirkley, fresh from Sandhurst, thought differently, and, unable to restrain himself, shouted in his best parade voice, ' Silence, men, silence.' A ripple of laughter replied to the boy. This was answered from the left by the sharp crackle of a dozen rifles, and the patter of bullets told the men that they were under fire. ' Steady, men ! Form company square,' thundered Gapt. Harford. ' Signallers ! Double up that rise on the right and get C. Company.' The order ought never to have been given ; but before the captain could recall it Brandreth and his men were away, and the front and left sides of the little square were apparently enveloped in a cloud of rushing, jumping plunging black forms. As Brandreth and Wilk dashed up the slope their comrade, struck by a stray shot, gave a short sharp gasp and rolled over. Wilk hardly looked at the form, but running on remarked, ' Another signaller done fer, There's only Lottie tor settle for now, and then it'll be my turn.' [ Whore's C. company ?' growled Brandreth. ' All right, sergeant. Dooty first and pleasure afterwards, as they say in the school books. I'll stand by yer, never fear,' said Wilk. The lamp was soon fixed, but repeated attempts to got 0. company proved fruitless. ' Better shut the light off, sit down, and pick us up. The company has been getting farther and farther away every minute, and it's no use advertising to the niggers that we are here to be killed,' said the sergeant. ' Froodence is the best part of valler,' misquoted W r illv. The two men sat down, but exchanged no word till the first streak

of sunlight brightened the sky. Brandreth rose. ' The men are a good mile off, but they haven't deserted us. They are marching in this direction.' ' Can yer see orl right ¥ asked Wilk. ' Yes. They're breaking into the double.' 'lf yer can see that well, yer can see well ernuff to settle that matter of Lottie.' • What do you mean V asked Brandreth. ' Take yer bloomin' coat off, and I'll show yer wot I mean. I'll make that 'andsome face of yours a b'.ooinin' picture; I will.' ' Nonsense, man, nonsense. We're in the field, and its death to you to strike me.' 'Take that for a coward, then,' said Wilk. At the same time he stepped forward and struck the sergeant a severe blow on the mouth. The sergeant reeled and fell, and looking over him Wilk saw a number of Soudanese advancing towards them. ' Look out, sergeant. They're on us.' As Brandreth rose to his feet the Fuzzies fired. ' I'm struck in the leg, Wilk. Bolt for the square.' And Bran dreth fainted. Wilk looked down irresolutely. An ugly blue mark was showing from under the sergeant's moustache, and blood was trickling from his mouth. ' I 'it 'im 'ard,' he muttered, ' and that'll do fer Lottie. I'm a first-class shot and it's lucky I brought my rifle, though a covering' party 'ort to 'ave bin told off with us signallers, by rights.' Wilk stepped in front of his comrade. ' Two hundred. Kueelin'! " He fired as coolly as though on the range, cheered by his company, who had broken, and were coming on at a run. ' Seven rounds.' He looked back. The men were very near now. ' The Arabs 'll git it 'ot, I'll bet,' The men swept past him, but Wilk did not join in the onward rush. He slipped back on to the body of his sergeant.

The present sergeant-major of the —th is named Brandreth aud, has two teeth missing from his lower jaw. He doesn't often talk war, but sometimes he will tell the talc of one whom he calls ' Wilk, the heroic' He always uncovers to the name, and ends with the words ' He died to save me.' Brandreth has never told any one how he lost two of his teeth. Perhaps he has forgotten, but it is not safe to ask him

al.out it. Brandreth hits a strong left arm blow which is sometimes dangerous to the inquisitive.— 'Fancy Free,' Northern Advocate.