The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a SoldierDrayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
History
The Young Dragoon: Every Day Life of a Soldier
Drayson, Alfred W. (Alfred Wilks)
Soldiers -- Juvenile fiction
The road from Farnborough station to the camp is pleasant enough in fine
weather to those who are light-hearted and free, but it is miserable at
any time, with nothing but more, misery at the end of the journey, to
the unfortunate individuals I have described. I mounted the box of an
omnibus which meets every train, and we trundled merrily away along the
sandy lane, bounded on each side for a part of the way by stately firs.
The 'bus stops a few minutes at the "Queen's Hotel," a temporary
building of iron and glass, situate on the edge of what is called the
north camp, and on an eminence overlooking the south camp in the far
distance. To the right, almost as far as the eye can reach, is a barren
desert, with only here and there a patch of stunted heather; and,
although the showers have been heavy, I notice a dense cloud of black
dust, moving now here, now there. Hark! I hear borne on the wind that
well-known trumpet-sound, "Halt!" and when the dust (which has been
trodden up by the horses' feet) has partially cleared away, I can
perceive the gay pennons of that time, newly-raised corps, the 5th Royal
Irish Lancers. Lower down in the valley are the 18th Royal Irish
Hussars, another regiment raised since the close of the Crimean
campaign; these, at the time I write, are about embarking for India.
The old time-honoured "Green Horse," the 5th Dragoon Guards, are with
them at field-drill, and all are in a high state of efficiency. I saw
them march to their quarters an hour afterwards all begrimed with dust,
which made them appear as black as sweeps, the whites of their eyes
rolling beneath their shaggy eyebrows, like those of the inhabitants of
an uncivilised region, more than British dragoons.
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