The Tremendous Adventures of Major GahaganThackeray, William Makepeace
History
The Tremendous Adventures of Major Gahagan
Thackeray, William Makepeace
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction
On arriving, I say, at our barracks at Dum Dum, I for the first time
put on the beautiful uniform of the Invincibles: a light blue
swallow-tailed jacket with silver lace and wings, ornamented with about
3,000 sugar-loaf buttons, rhubarb-coloured leather inexpressibles
(tights), and red morocco boots with silver spurs and tassels, set off
to admiration the handsome persons of the officers of our corps. We
wore powder in those days; and a regulation pigtail of seventeen
inches, a brass helmet surrounded by leopard skin, with a bearskin top
and a horsetail feather, gave the head a fierce and chivalrous
appearance, which is far more easily imagined than described.
Attired in this magnificent costume, I first presented myself before
Colonel Jowler. He was habited in a manner precisely similar, but not
being more than five feet in height, and weighing at least fifteen
stone, the dress he wore did not become him quite so much as slimmer
and taller men. Flanked by his tall Majors, Thrupp and Gutch, he looked
like a stumpy skittle-ball between two attenuated skittles. The plump
little Colonel received me with vast cordiality, and I speedily became
a prime favourite with himself and the other officers of the corps.
Jowler was the most hospitable of men; and gratifying my appetite and
my love together, I continually partook of his dinners, and feasted on
the sweet presence of Julia.
I can see now, what I would not and could not perceive in those early
days, that this Miss Jowler—on whom I had lavished my first and warmest
love, whom I had endowed with all perfection and purity—was no better
than a little impudent flirt, who played with my feelings, because
during the monotony of a sea voyage she had no other toy to play with;
and who deserted others for me, and me for others, just as her whim or
her interest might guide her. She had not been three weeks at
headquarters when half the regiment was in love with her. Each and all
of the candidates had some favour to boast of, or some encouraging
hopes on which to build. It was the scene of the “Samuel Snob” over
again, only heightened in interest by a number of duels. The following
list will give the reader a notion of some of them:—
1. Cornet Gahagan . . . Ensign Hicks, of the Sappers and Miners. Hicks
received a ball in his jaw, and was half choked by a quantity of
carroty whisker forced down his throat with the ball.
2. Captain Macgillicuddy, B.N.I. Cornet Gahagan. I was run through the
body, but the sword passed between the ribs, and injured me very
slightly.
3. Captain Macgillicuddy, B.N.I. Mr. Mulligatawny, B.C.S., Deputy-
Assistant Vice Sub-Controller of the Boggleywollah Indigo grounds,
Ramgolly branch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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