Fix Bay'nets Part 49

"I will; but--"

"By being silent, and then putting everything in one good grip of the hand."

"I see," he said, accompanying Bracy to his quarters. "Now, what can I do?"

"Send for Gedge."

"What for? Surely you have not chosen him for your companion?"

"I have. The Colonel said he could not spare you."

"Ha! That's better, old fellow. I was beginning to feel horribly set aside."

"I was to have one of the men for my companion. Can you suggest a better?"

"No," said Roberts, and he hurried out to seek the lad, who was standing in line with his fellows of the company, looking gloomy and discontented, for the sally-party to follow the Colonel, who was to lead them himself, did not include "Roberts's lot," as they were termed.

"Fall out, Private Gedge," said Roberts sharply.

"Didn't hear what I said, did he?" muttered the lad, with an anxious look, for he had been growling at what he called the favouritism served out to some of the companies in choosing them to go out and have the first chance of being shot; and this, he told himself, was mutinous.

But he pulled himself together and stood as erect as a ramrod, waiting for the next order, which came directly:

"Right face; march!"

And he marched after his Captain, with heart beating heavily, and then sinking deeper and deeper, as he found himself led to the officers'

quarters.

"It's court-martial for a threep'ny-bit," he muttered. "Next thing 'll be 'Disarm!' and all because I wanted to go and fight. Oh! they are jolly 'ard on us chaps in the ranks."

"Come in, my lad," said Roberts, stooping to enter the low door, and Gedge's heart went down to its lowest point as he found himself face to face with Bracy.

"Them two to drop on me!" he thought. "Wouldn't ha' keared if it had been the Major."

The next moment poor Gedge's heavily plumping heart jumped, as he afterwards expressed it from his boots right up to his throat.

"Gedge," said Bracy coldly and quietly, "I am going on a very dangerous mission."

"Oh, sir, please don't go without me!"

"I have sent for you to say that I have selected you for my companion."

"Hoo--beg pardon, sir," cried the lad, turning scarlet.

"No cheering, no nonsense, no boy's tricks, my lad. This is desperate men's work. I have chosen you to go with me on a journey of many days, during which we shall suffer terrible hards.h.i.+ps."

"That's right, sir; used to it ever since I was--"

"Silence, man!" said Bracy sternly. "We shall go with our lives in our hands, and probably never get to our journey's end; but we shall have to try. Now then, if you feel the slightest qualm, speak out honestly, and I will choose some one else."

"Don't do that, sir, please; but I will speak out honest. I must, when you axes me to."

"Ah!" cried Bracy.

"I'm strong as a horse again, sir; but sometimes I do get a sorter dig in the back, just as if a red-hot iron rod were touching up my wound when the bit o' iron--"

"No, no, man," cried Bracy, laughing. "I mean qualm of dread, or shrinking about running the risk."

"Oh, that, sir? Not me. Ain't I just as likely to be shot if I stop quiet here? They're allus trying to do it. I gets more sniping than any chap in the company."

"Then you will go with me?"

"I just will, sir. Anywheres."

"Thank you, Gedge. I'll say no more, for I know that you will stick to me like a man."

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Gedge, exhaling an enormous amount of pent-up emotion, and drawing his arm across his thickly perspiring brow, while a pleasant, contented smile lit up his plain features, as he drew himself up more stiffly to attention, waiting for orders.

"Well done, Gedge!" said Roberts softly.--"You've picked the right lad, Bracy."

Gedge did not move a muscle, but stood as upright as the rifle at his side, and looking as inanimate, but quite as dangerous, while his two officers said a few words in a low tone. The next moment Roberts went out of the room, and Bracy turned to the lad.

"We have to carry everything ourselves, and we must take all we can without overloading, my lad, for we shall have to climb a great deal amongst the snow. Now, mind this: we have just three-quarters of an hour for preparation. Then we must pa.s.s out of the gate."

Gedge did not move, but stood as if carved out of a block of hardened putty by the hand of an artistic drill-sergeant; listening, though, with his ears, which looked preternaturally large from the closeness of the regimental barber's efforts, and seeming to gape. Then he left his rifle in a corner, and was off.

The result was that, with five minutes to spare, officer and man, strangely transformed by their thick, woolly overcoats, stood ready in that room. Haversacks of provisions hung from their broad leather bands; revolvers balanced dagger-bay'nets from their belts; as much ammunition as they could carry was in their pockets, and necessary odds and ends were bestowed in satchels.

"All ready?" said Roberts at last.

"All ready. Nothing forgotten that I can think of."

"Then you will start at once. I have warned the men that you are to be allowed to slip out quietly, or they would have cheered you."

"Thanks," said Bracy.--"You hear that, Gedge?"

"Yes, sir."

"You will follow me without a word."

Gedge's face now looked as if if had been carved in oil-stone, it was so hard, and he made no reply. But mentally he was discoursing vigorously in his wild state of excitement, for he could judge of his own appearance by that of his officer.

"Just like a couple o' second-hand Robinson Crusoes out of a pantymime, and bound for the North Pole. Talk about a lark. Oh, don't I wish my poor old mother could see her bee-u-tiful boy!--Poor old chaps! Poor old pardners! Won't they be waxy when they knows I'm gone! Here, blessed if I can get, at my clean pocket-'ankychy, and I wants to shed a purlin' tear for poor old Sergeant Gee."

"Ready!" came to check the flow of Gedge's thoughts, and, picking up his rifle, the fellow to that placed ready for Bracy, he stepped out into the court, to find all the men left in the fort gathered to see them start, for the news was every one's property now; and as they marched towards the gates there was a low murmur, but no man stirred.

It was different, though, with the women; though here, too, all was done in silence. Officers' wives stepped forward to press Bracy's hands, with the tears standing in their eyes, and many a "G.o.d-speed!" was murmured in the ears of both.