With Roberts to Pretoria: A Tale of The South African WarHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
With Roberts to Pretoria: A Tale of The South African War
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
South African War, 1899-1902 -- Juvenile fiction
"Those are the cavalry, Hans; you won't be expected to look like them.
I fancy the corps here wear white in summer; but that is certainly not
a good colour for campaigning, and the major said that there was some
talk of dyeing them a sort of light brown, that wouldn't show the dirt,
and would not want so much washing, and, above all, would not make such
a conspicuous mark for an enemy. It is the same sort of colour as the
regular troops wear here in summer, and I expect that in a short time
they will all take to it instead of scarlet."
"Well, I don't care much how they dress me, so long as they let me go
with you, Master Yorke."
After going to the head-quarters of the corps, and being sworn in,
Yorke went to the tailor who had the contract for the uniforms. He
found that Major Mackintosh had just come in, and had ordered that no
more uniforms should be made for members of the corps until they heard
again from him, which would be the next morning, as he had summoned a
council of the officers. Yorke and Hans were, however, measured and the
tailor promised to put their uniforms in hand directly he received the
major's instructions to go on.
Yorke had been invited by the adjutant to attend the meeting of the
officers. He listened to the discussion, and, was glad to learn
that khaki drill was generally approved of as the material for the
uniforms of the corps, to be used with brown belts and accoutrements,
and wide-brimmed felt hats of the same colour as the coats. He was
introduced to the other officers by Major Mackintosh, who laughingly
told them that they must make the most of him, as Colonel Pinkerton had
requisitioned him for service.
The following morning Hans was set to work drilling with a batch of
other recruits. This was not necessary in Yorke's case, as he had for
two years been a member of the Rugby Cadet corps, and therefore knew
as much of drill as most of the officers. Thus, when in the cool of
the evening the whole corps turned out, he was able to play his new
part satisfactorily. Colonel Pinkerton had strolled down to witness the
drill. The gathering was a very motley one, for the men were not in
uniform, and all classes were represented.
"I was glad to see you knew your work," the colonel said to him on his
return. "You did not tell me that you knew anything of soldiering."
"I do not know very much, sir; but I was a member of the school corps
for two years, and we flattered ourselves we were pretty smart. Of
course many of the fellows were meant for the army, and were very keen
about it. But I think we all took a good deal of pride in drilling
well, and though I was not an officer, of course I knew where the
officers should be placed in each movement."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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