"Sharpest knife, one o' you," said Joey, and after a little comparison of blades, most of which were ground more or less on their owner's clumsy boots, he selected one, and carefully slit open the shirt and, cutting away enough to form a pad, he pressed it down upon the wound and checked the bleeding. "Ought to be tied up," he muttered; "but 'tain't like a cut finger: you can't turn him about. We'll wait till doctor comes." "Won't yer wash it?" said Smiler, with a grin. "Nay, doctor 'll do that if it's right; we'll try and give him a drink when the water comes, and bathe his face. What did he go and do that for?" "Think he did?" said Smiler. "Why, o' course," said another. "Hadn't he got the pistol lying in his fist?" "Ay," said Joey. "I s'pose some on 'em ain't very comf'able with them drill-sergeants--shoots theirselves in barracks sometimes. Yer see, when a man 'lists, he can't pitch it up again and say `I've had enough of this.'" "No, they're 'bliged to stick to it," said Smiler, "'less someun buys 'em out. I dunno, though, but what I'd ha' liked to be a sojer; it's better than spendin' all yer life in a hop-garden, spuddin' and poling and hoeing." "You!" said Joey, "you a sojer, Smiler?" "Well, why not? Course, I know my back's a bit twisted, but it would ha' been right enough if I'd been drilled." "They'd ha' had to drill something else beside your legs and wings, Smiler," said Joey, giving his companions a queer look. "Eh? What?" "That mug o' your'n, else you'd ha' been in the Black Hole half your time for laughin' at your officers." "Yah! Just as if I can help bein' a good-tempered lookin' chap. Dessay as I should make as good a sojer as most on 'em as you see over yonder at those towns. Better be allus on the smile than lookin' savage at everyone." "Ay, to be sure, Smiler. Wonder, though, what did make this poor chap do it? He's a young un, too, for a sojer. I say, any on you hear his pistol go off last night?" No one answered; but the man who held the revolver began to examine it. "Here, just you mind what you're about with that thing," said Smiler. "I've heard as they'll go off six times o' running. Say, would it hurt un, if I lit my pipe?" "Nay," said Joey, "and I'd thank one o' you kindly if he'd take mine out o' my pocket and fill and light it for me. Can't be very long now before doctor comes, and I must hold him here downright to stop the bleeding. Ah! I can feel his heart beating just gentle like." "You can?" "Ay; and it's a wonder, too. Poor lad! he's been bleeding like a pig." The lighting of pipes was preceded by the careful putting away of the pistol, and just as the men were all puffing contentedly away, Smiler said-- "Master won't find they ten acres of hops washed if he comes 'ome to-night." "No," said Joey; "but you can't wash hops when you're finding sojers nearly dead in the alleys.--An' here's the water. Ain't hurried yerself much, lad."