Almost before this speech, a very long one for Parkes, was finished, that gentleman was asleep; and making a shrewd guess that by ‘the Queen’s bad bargain’ Parkes meant enlisting, Jack sat quietly down and thought over the situation. That Napper was a bully he had already seen; that he was of a low disposition he guessed, and that he set the young trumpeters a bad example he feared. It was clear there would be trouble between them; he was not going to sit down under tyranny. He would do his duty cheerfully and manfully, and try to please Napper; if things went wrong--well, they would see. This being settled, Jack thought it a good opportunity to write to his mother an account of all that had happened, and explain to her how it was he had become a trumpeter in the ‘Death or Glory Boys.’ He procured some note-paper from the canteen, and then set to work to write a long letter. He was just finishing, when, with a clatter and a jingle, laughing and talking, the rest of the trumpeters, headed by Napper, came trooping into the room. Hodson went up to Jack. ‘Well, chummy, what are you doing?’ he asked. Napper interrupted. ‘Can’t you see he’s writing to his mammy.--Requesting the old girl to send you a bob’s worth of stamps, eh?’ he asked of Jack. The latter took no notice, but folding his letter, put it in the envelope. ‘Ho, ho, the dook’s on his high horse,’ said Napper; ‘been telling “my mamma” I’ve joined the cavalry, don’t-cher-know, and shall soon be in the orficers’ mess.’ Some of the trumpeters sniggered. ‘Let’s see what the young beggar has said,’ cried Napper, stepping up to Jack and trying to snatch his letter. Jack’s eyes flashed ominously and he jumped to his feet. ‘Don’t you interfere with me or try to touch my letter,’ he cried, his voice vibrating with passion. Napper tried to seize the hand in which Jack held his letter; but the latter placed his left hand on Napper’s chest and pushed him so violently that he almost fell backwards. Napper turned livid with rage. ‘You scum, you,’ he cried, ‘I’ll show you. I’ve had to take cocky youngsters down before. Here, one of you, give me my whip!’ No one moved, though several of the youngsters looked nervously at one another. Napper sprang to his bed, snatched down his riding-whip, and advancing towards Jack, cried, ‘Give me that letter or I’ll tan you till you can’t stand.’ ‘Touch me with that whip if you dare,’ answered Jack, with flashing eyes. Napper raised the whip, and Jack put up his arm to ward off the blow; but at that moment the door was opened, a jingle of spurs sounded, and a hoarse voice cried, ‘Ha, hum! now, you toads, what is all this? Not a move, any one, or I’ll put the lot under arrest. What d’ye mean by it I want to know? D’ye hear, _I want to know_?’ CHAPTER VI. JACK MAKES A RESOLVE.