Snake and Sword: A NovelWren, Percival Christopher
General
Snake and Sword: A Novel
Wren, Percival Christopher
British -- India -- Fiction
the jump by the cunning brute that knows its rider has neither whip,
spurs, saddle nor reins). “What? The _horse_ refuse? One of _my_ horses
_refuse? If the man’ll jump, the horse’ll jump._ (All of you repeat
that after me and don’t forget it.) No. It’s the _man_ refuses, not the
poor horse. Don’t you know the ancient proverb ‘Faint heart ne’er took
fair jump’….? What’s the good of coming here if your heart’s the size
of your eye-ball instead of being the size of your fist? _Refuse?_ Put
him over it, man. _Put_ him over—SIT BACK and lift him, and _put_ him
over. I’ll give you a thousand pounds if he refuses _me_….”
Then the day when poor bullied, baited, nervous Muggins had reached his
limit and come to the end of his tether—or thought he had. Bumped,
banged, bucketed, thrown, sore from head to foot, raw-kneed, laughed
at, lashed by the Rough-Riding Sergeant-Major’s cruel tongue, blind and
sick with dust and pain and rage, he had at last turned his horse
inward from his place in the ride to the centre of the School, and
dismounted.
How quaintly the tyrant’s jaw had dropped in sheer astonishment, and
how his face had purpled with rage when he realized that his eyes had
not deceived him and that the worm had literally turned—without orders.
Indian, African, and Egyptian service, disappointment, and a bad wife
had left Rough-Riding Sergeant-Major Blount with a dangerous temper.
Poor silly Muggins. He had been Juggins indeed on that occasion, and,
as the “ride” halted of its own accord in awed amazement, Dam had
longed to tell him so and beg him to return to his place ere worse
befell….
“I’ve ’ad enough, you bull-’eaded brute,” shouted poor Muggins, leaving
his horse and advancing menacingly upon his (incalculably) superior
officer, “an’ fer two damns I’d break yer b—— jaw, I would. You …”
Even as the Rough-Riding Corporal and two other men were dragging the
struggling, raving recruit to the door, _en route_ for the Guard-room,
entered the great remote, dread Riding-Master himself.
“What’s this?” inquired Hon. Captain Style, Riding-Master of the
Queen’s Greys, strict, kind-hearted martinet.
Salute, and explanations from the Rough-Riding Sergeant-Major.
Torrent of accusation and incoherent complaint and threat from the
baited Muggins.
“Mount that horse,” says the Riding-Master.
“I’ll go to Clink first,” gasps Muggins. “I’ll go to ’Ell first.”
“No. _Afterwards,_” replies the Riding-Master and sends the
Rough-Riding Corporal for the backboard—dread instrument of equestrian
persuasion.
Muggins is forcibly mounted, put in the lunging ring and sent round and
round till he throws himself off at full gallop and lies crying and
sobbing like a child—utterly broken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account