"Dyer," says the colonel, the next moment, and they closed up together, but close to where we two stood--"Dyer," he says, "I never felt before that it would be hard to do my duty as a soldier; but, God help me, I shall have to leave Annie and the children." There were a couple of tears rolling down the poor fellow's cheeks as he spoke, and he took Captain Dyer's hand. "Look at him! Look there!" whispers Measles again; and I kicked out sharp behind, and hit him on the shin. "He's a pretty sort of a--" He didn't say any more just then, for, like me, he was staggered by the change that took place. I think I've said Colonel Maine was a little, easy-going, pudgy man, with a red face; but just then, as he stood holding Captain Dyer's hand, a change seemed to come over him; he dropped the hand he had held, tightened his sword-belt, and then took a step forward, to stand thoughtful, with despatches in his left hand. It was then that I saw in a moment that I had wronged him, and I felt as if I could have gone down on the ground for him to have walked over me, for whatever he might have been in peace, easy-going, careless, and fond of idleness and good-living--come time for action, there he was with the true British officer flashing out of his face, his lips pinched, his eyes flashing, and a stern look upon his countenance that I had never seen before. "Now then!" I says in a whisper to Measles. I didn't say anything else, for he knew what I meant. "Now then--now then!" "Well," says Measles then, in a whisper, "I s'pose women and children will bring the soft out of a man at a time like this; but, why I what did he mean by humbugging us like that!" I should think Colonel Maine stood alone thoughtful and still in that court-yard, with the sun beating down upon his muslin-covered forage-cap, while you could slowly, and like a pendulum-beat, count thirty. It was a tremendously hot morning, with the sky a bright clear blue, and the shadows of a deep purply black cast down and cut as sharp as sharp. It was so still, too, that you could hear the whirring, whizzy noise of the cricket things, and now and then the champ, champ of the horse rattling his bit as he stood outside the gateway. It was a strange silence, that seemed to make itself felt; and then the colonel woke into life, stuck those despatches into his sword-belt, gave an order here, an order there, and the next minute--Tantaran-tantaran, _Tantaran-tantaran_, Tantaran-Tantaran, _Tantaran-tay_--the bugle was ringing out the assemblee, men were hurrying here and there, there was the trampling of feet, the court-yard was full of busy figures, shadows were passing backwards and forwards, and the news was abroad that our regiment was to form a flying column with another, and that we were off directly.