The superior manner of the sergeant and the air of comfort about his quarters rather impressed Mrs Blair and she began to think that a soldier’s life was not altogether the common, low drudgery, with men little better than convicts for companions, which she had thought it; and when later on Jack took her down to the station and saw her off by train she was to a certain extent reconciled to the idea. Dearly as he loved his mother, Jack heaved a half-sigh of relief as her train steamed out, and he thanked his lucky stars that she had not seen the ordinary barrack-room or realised the actual conditions of the life to which he had pledged himself for twelve long years. He reached barracks only just before ‘First post’ was sounded, and went straight to his room. When he got there he found the occupants thereof rather noisy. Napper was sitting on the table, with a pipe in his mouth, relating something to the others which was making them laugh loudly. As Jack came in he looked up and cried out, ‘Talk of the er--commander-in-chief and you’ll hear his wings or his spurs. Why, here is our mammy’s darling. “Oh John, John, to think that I should ever see you in the garb of a common soldier”--boo-hoo, boo-hoo, boo-hoo;’ and the bully pretended to cry loudly. Jack, his heart heavy with having just parted from his mother, felt his blood boil at these words; but he said nothing, only crossed to his bed, which he proceeded to take down. ‘Did mammy bring you that bit of sugar?’ continued Napper. ‘No, she gave him twopence for lollipops,’ said another. ‘Not she,’ cried Napper; ‘the old washerwoman hadn’t got the twopence to spare. She’d want that for a drop of gin on the way home. Her nose showed where all her twopences went.’ At this gross insult Jack fairly shook with rage; but he determined to govern his temper as long as he could. ‘How did the old girl get a holiday to come and see you?’ asked Napper again. ‘Or does her laundry shut early on Saturdays?’ Jack had removed his cap and jacket, and busied himself with his bed, when Napper, picking up a wet cloth which lay on the table, threw it at Jack, saying, ‘Send that up to the old puddin’-boiler and ask her to wash it for us when she is sober.’ Jack waited for no more. He picked up the cloth and dashed it in his tormentor’s face. ‘There’s your washing back again,’ he said, ‘and here’s my intimation to you that if you ever open your foul mouth in my presence to say anything disrespectful of my mother again I’ll wring your nose.’ Then seizing Napper by the collar of his jacket, he shook him till that gentleman’s head seemed for a moment to be in danger of coming off. ‘You scum, you washerwoman’s brat!’ yelled Napper, jumping to his feet. ‘What do you mean by that?’ and he made a furious rush at Jack. He was met by a well-planted blow between the eyes which laid him flat on his back, and Jack said, ‘It means, Bully Napper, that you and I must settle once and for all who is going to be master here.’