the paths of propriety had not the gone abroad that the regiment was to be sent on active service to take part in a war which for the sake of we will call the war of the lost tribes the had the almost before the mess room and of all the nine hundred men in not ten had seen a shot fired in anger the colonel had twenty years ago assisted at a frontier expedition one of the had seen service at the cape a confirmed in e company had helped to clear streets in ireland but that was all the regiment had been put by for many years the overwhelming mass of its rank and file had from three to four years service the non officers were under thirty years old and men and alike had forgotten to speak of the stories written in brief upon the colors � the new colors that had been formally blessed by in england ere the regiment came away they wanted to go to the front � they were anxious to but they had no knowledge of what war meant and there was none to tell them they were an educated regiment the of school in their ranks was high and most of the men could do more than read and write they had been in loyal of the idea but they themselves had no notion of that idea they were made up of from an over district the system had put flesh and muscle upon their small bones but it could not put heart into the sons of those who for generations had done work for pay had in drying rooms stooped over s the drums of the fore and aft among white lead and shivered on lime the men had found food and rest in the army and now they were going to fight � people who ran away if you shook a stick at them wherefore cheered when the ran and the shrewd non officers on the chances of and of saving their pay at men said � � the fore and fit have never been under fire within the last generation let us therefore break them in easily by setting them to guard lines of communication and this would have been done but for the fact that british were wanted � badly wanted � at the front and there were doubtful native that could fill the minor duties em with two strong said they may be knocked about a bit but they ll learn their business before they come through nothing like a night alarm and a little cutting up of to make a regiment smart in the field wait till they ve had half a dozen throats cut the colonel wrote with delight that the temper of his men was excellent that the regiment was all that could be wished and as sound as a bell the smiled with a sober joy and the in pairs down the mess room after dinner and nearly shot themselves at revolver practice but there was consternation in the hearts of and what was to be done with the drums would the band go to the front how many of the drums would accompany the regiment they took council together sitting in a tree and smoking it s more than a toss up they ll leave us be ind at the t with the women you like that said cause o y mean s a woman or a d o women o the of field service you know i m as keen on goin as you said wish i was a said sadly the drums of the fore and aft they ll take tom along that i can plaster a wall with an like as not the won t take us � then let s go an make tom so sick e can t no more you old is kick him said on the branch that ain t no good neither we ain t the sort o characters to on our � they re bad if they have the band at the we don t go and no error there if they take the band we may get cast for medical are you medical fit said digging in the ribs with force said with an oath the doctor says s weak through on an empty throw a chest an i ll try yer threw out his chest which smote with all his might turned very pale gasped up his eyes and said � that s all right you ll do said i ve o men dying when you it em fair on the don t bring us no nearer goin though said do you know where we re ordered knows an e won t split on a up to the front to kill � hairy big beggars that turn you inside out if they get old o you they say their women are good looking too any asked the abandoned not a they say unless you dig up the ground an see what the ave id they re a poor lot stood upright on the branch and gazed across the plain said he there s the colonel coming colonel s a good old beggar let s go an talk to im nearly fell out of the tree at the audacity of the suggestion like he feared not god neither regarded he man but there are limits even to the audacity of boy an q speak to colonel was s the drums of the fore and aft but had slid down the trunk and doubled in the direction of the colonel that officer was walking wrapped in thought and visions of a c b � yes even a k c b for had he not at command one of the best of the line � the fore and fit and he was aware of two small boys charging down upon him once before 