The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-08

put on the head stall. You can take al
nrmful OF hay from that rack wonder. |
tll geC MIN ration of grain tonight. It's
"lie's just had a good feed,n Ronald said,
anu , VIII not want any more, but may as
well give him the hay to amuse himself
with 1t will accustom him to his new
pistolsg" '---0 '''--
BRING them with You, lad ! but there was
no occasion for you TO have brought them:
government finds arms"
/ happened to have them with me.n
Ronald said, ''and as the rifle carries gov
ernmen5 Ammunition, thought that tbev
would let me use It,
"tf It's about the right length have no
doubt tAey will be glad t. do so. for we
nave no very great store of arms, and we
are not quite so particular about having
everything exactly uniform as taev ara in
q crack corps at home. AS for the pistols.
there Is no doubt about them, as being in
the holsters they don't SOW. Several of
the men have got them, and most of the
olhcers. Now 1 viii Ike you up to your
quarters" The room to which he ead
r maid contained about dozen men. some
had already gone to bed. others were rub
blng up BITS and accouterments, one or two
were reading
Here's a new comrade, lads,n the SER
geant said; "Blunt'S his name. He is a
new arrival from home, and you wont find
I'm a greenhorn, for he has served al
ready"
Ronald had the knack of making him
self at home, and was, before he turned in an
hour later, on terms Of good fellowship
with bis comrades.
In the morning after grooming his horse,
ne went III the barrack yard, when the
troop formed up for dismounted drill.
w I'll you take your place at oncs in the
ranks" Sergt. Meazies asked ''Do you
feel equal to it!'
Yes; have not grown rusty" Ronald
replied as he fell in.
An hours work suificed to show Sergt.
Menzl9s, who was drilling the troop, that
the new recruit needed no instruction on
that score, and that lie was as pc feet in
his drill as anyone in the troop
Are you as well up in your cavalry
driH as in the infantry" he asked Rom
aid as the troop fell out.
mo-" Ronald said, "but when one knows
one, he soon gets well at home in the other.
AT any rate, for simple wo;k the system is
exactly the same, and think with two or
three drills [ shall be able to keep my
place"
After breakfast the former formed m
again IN their So 4dles, and the officers took
their places in the ranks. AS the sergeant
handed to the adult mt some returns he had
been compiling, the latter a5&eI:
by the way, sergeant, did the recruit
Blunt join last nightg'
Yes, sir, and be is in his place now in
the rear rank. He was III his uniform
when he came, and | found this morning
that he is thoroughly well up in his drill.
A smart soldier all over, l should say. [
don't know that he will do so well mounted.
INIT nnn't think tryin l.
many bunde!s. lie 10 evidently sharp
fellow"
he ought not to have taken his place
UNTIL ha passed his horse, sergeant. Still
] can do that after parade drill is over.n
The adjutant then proceeded to put the
troop through a numb IT of easy movements
sucA as forming from line to column, and
back into line, and wheeling. There was no
room for anything else in the barrack-yard.
which was a small one, as the barracks
would only hold a single troop. Before the
movements were completed the ma or came
out. When the troop was dismissed Sergt.
Menzies brought Ronald up to the two
officers. he had in the NOR Ding furnished
him with the regulation bride, belt and
sword Ronald drew up his horse at short
distance from the two officers aud saluted
There's no doubt about his horse" the
major said, that is if ne is sound. What a
good looking beast.
THAT he is, M jor; by Jove, believe it,
the very animal that young Boer asked us
el2o for yesterday; 'pon my word, believe
its the same"
81 believe it is" the major agreed.
What soldierIy-looking young fellow he
is; l thought he was the right stamp yescer-
day, but | hardly expected to see him turn
out SO well at first"
The two officers walked up to Ronald, ex-
amined his horse, saddle, aud uniform.
That's not regulation rife you have
got there" the major said
mo sir, it is one | brought from England
with me, | have been accustomed to its
use, and as it is the regulation bore, |
thought perhaps | might carry it."
Its trife long, isn't itT' the adjutant
asked.
Eyes sir, it's just two inches two long.
but L can have that cut off by gun
smith
Very well, if you do that you can carry
ii" the major said. ''Of course it's much
better finished than the regulation one, but
not much different in appearance. Very
we'll, we pass the horse" Ronald saluted
and rode off to the stables
He hasn't come out penniless anyhow
the major laughed.
"No, that's quite evident" the adiutant
agreed, 81 daresay his friends gave him
hundred or two to start on farm, and when
he decided to join US he thought he might
as well spend 1t, and have final piece of
81 daresay that's it," the major agreed:
''anyhow | think we have got hold of a good
recruit this time"
Il visa they were all like him." the adiu-
tant sighed, thinking Of the trouble he
often had with wly-joined recruits.
by the way" the major lid, II have
got word this morning that the draft is to
be embarked tomorrow Instead Of next
week. They took up ship for them yes
terday; Ii seems our men there are worked
off their legs, for the Kafiirs are stealing
cattle and horses in all directions, and the
colonists have sent in such strong letter of
complaint to the governor that even he
thinks the police force on the frontier ought
TO be strengthened. Not, of course, that he
admits IN the Sigh test that there is any
ground for alarm, or believes for a moment
that the Katfirs have any evil intentions
whatever; still, to reassure the minds of the
settlers, he thinks the troops may as well go
forward at once.n
81 wish to goodness" the adiutant said
bitterly, that Sir Harry Smith would take
cottage for two or three months close to
the frontier; it would not be long before his
eyes we're opened little as to the character
and intentions of the Kaffirs."
sit would be good thing" the major
agreed, ''but doubt if even that would do
it till he heard the Kaffirs breaking in his
doors; then the enlightenment would como
too late to be of any service to the colony.