“That was the last I saw av Larry for a while. Exchange is the same as
death for not thinkin', an' by token I married Dinah, an' that kept me
from remimberin' ould times. Thin we wint up to the Front, an' ut tore
my heart in tu to lave Dinah at the Depot in Pindi. Consequint whin
was at the Front I fought circumspectuous till I warrmed up, an thin I
fought double tides. You remimber fwhat I tould you in the gyard-gate av
the fight at Silver's Theatre.”
“Wot's that about Silver's Theayter!” said Ortheris quickly, over his
shoulder.
“Nothin', little man. A tale that ye know. As I was sayin', afther that
fight us av the Ould Rig'mint an' the Tyrone was all mixed together
takin' shtock ay the dead, an' av coorse I wint about to find if there
was any man that remimbered me. The second man I came acrost--an' how
I'd missed him in the fight I do not know--was Larry, an' a fine man he
looked, but oulder, by token that he had a call to be. 'Larry,' sez I,
'how is ut wid you?'
“'Ye're callin' the wrong man,' he sez, wid his gentleman's smile;
'Larry has been dead these three years. They call him “Love-o'-Women”
now,' he sez. By that I knew the ould divil was in him yet, but the ind
av a fight is no time for the beginnin' av confession, so we sat down
an' talked av times.'
“'They tell me you're a married man,' he sez, puffing slow at his poipe.
'Are ye happy?'
“'I will be whin I get back to Depot,' I sez. ''Tis a reconnaissance
honeymoon now.'
“'I'm married too,' he sez, puffin' slow an' more slow, an' stopperin'
wid his forefinger.
“'Sind you happiness,' I sez. 'That's the best hearin' for a long time.'
“'Are ye av that opinion?' he sez; an' thin he began talkin' av the
campaign. The sweat av Silver's Theatre was not dhry upon him, an' he
was prayin' for more work. I was well contint to lie and listen to the
cook-pot lids.
“Whin he got up off the ground he shtaggered a little, an' laned over
all twisted.
“'Ye've got more than ye bargained for,' I sez. 'Take an inventory,
Larry. 'Tis like you're hurt.'
“He turned round stiff as a ramrod an' damned the eyes av me up an' down
for an impartinent Irish-faced ape. If that had been in barricks, I'd
ha' stretched him an' no more said; but 'twas at the Front, an' afther
such a fight as Silver's Theatre I knew there was no callin' a man to
account for his timpers. He might as well ha' kissed me. Aftherwards
I was well pleased I kept my fistes home. Then our Captain
Crook--Cruik-na-bul-leen--came up. He'd been talkin' to the little
orf'cer bhoy av the Tyrone. 'We're all cut to windystraws,' he sez, 'but
the Tyrone are damned short for noncoms. Go you over there, Mulvaney,
an' be Deputy-Sergeant, Corp'ral, Lance, an' everything else ye can lay
hands on till I bid you stop.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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