Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-03

Oh Lieut. Ouiess was the back OF free man
ana an omcer; He nodded - came up, and I
heard him hing an order to . non-commis-
stoned oficer in . sure and certain voica The
nag ran up from the targetand Or.heris flung
himself down on his stomach to put in his ten
shots He winked at me over the breech block
as he settled himself, with the air Of . man
who has to 60 through tricks for the benefit of
Watch, You men," said Ouless to the squad
behind. He is half your weight, Brannigan,
but he isn't afraid of his rife.''
Ortheris had his little Alterations and pet
ways as the rest OF us have. He weighed his
rifle, gave it little kick up, cuddled down
again and fred across the ground that Was be-
ginning 70 dance in the sun heat.
Miss said man behind.
"Too much bloomin' ground in 'front.'" Or
theris muttered.
II should give two feet for refraction," said
Ouless
Ortheris fred again, made his outer, crept in,
found the bull and stayed there, the non-com-
missioned officers picking off the shots.
cant make out how missed that first, he
said, rising and stepping back to my side as
Learoyd took his place.
is II company practice?" asked.
NO. Only just knocking about Ouless 'e's
glvln ten rupees for second-class shots L m
outer it OF course, but l come on to show lem
the proper style o. doin' things. Jock looks
like sea lion at the Brighton aquarium sprawl
ing and crawlin' down there don't e? Gawd,
what butt this end Of i'm would make:
- company has come up very well, raid.
They ad to. They're none so dusty now,
are theyI Samueson, even e can shoot some
times. We're gettin on as well as can be ex-
pected, thank you"
How do you get on With"
20, i'm; first rate. There's nothin' wrong
WAS it all settled, then2''
Asnt Terence told you? / should say it
were. 'E's q gentleman "a il"
Lets hear" said.
Ortheris twinkled all over, tucked his rife
across his knee and repeated: "E's gentle
man. Els an officer, too. You saw all that
fault, as you can guess. Only some goat in the
driii Judged 1t was behavior or something to play
the fool on rade. That's why we drilled SO
bad: When 9 it me, / was so took aback 1
couidn do nothing, an when l wished for to
knock I'm down the wheel 'ad gone, an l was
facing you there lynn on the guns. After the
captain had come up an was rsggin'
me about my tunic bein' tore l saw the
young beggar's eye an fore 1 could
elp myself l begun to lie like good 'un.
You card that? 1t was quite instructive, but
my! l was in lather. then he said to the
captain: i struck i'm ! seq e, an card Bran
der whistle on then l come out with new set
o lies all about portir' arms an 'ow the rip
growed such as You card. done that, too,
before 1 knew where / was. Then l give
was dismissed. You should ha' seen lis kit by
the time I'd finished with it. 1t was all over
the blOomin fort. Then me an Jock went off
to Mulvaney in 'orspetal, fve-mile walk,
an was hoppin' mad Ouless e knowed it was
court marshal for me if l it i'm back e must
ha knowed. Well, L SEE to Terence, whisper
in under the 'ospital balcony. Terence, SEES
i. What in ell am l to dor l told i'm all
about the row same as you saw. Terence Q
whistles like bloomin' old bull finch up there
in 'orspital an e SEE: You amt to blame
sez e. 'Strewth,' SEE l. ID you suppose I've
come ere for five miles in the sua to take
blameT I SEE. want that young beggar's
hide took off. / amt q bloomln conscript,"
SEE. I'm private servin' of the queen, an
as good a man as g u.s. / SEE, for all is COM
mission an is airs an is money! SEE L.
What a fool you were," 1 interrupted. Or
theris not being mental, but free man, had
no excuse for yelping.
That's exactly what Terence said. Iwonder
you got it the same way pat if e 'asn't been
talking to you. e sez to me, You ought to
What differ do it make to you,' e seq,
whether e as . commission no COM
mission. That's none O. your affair.
It's between man an man, e SEE, If e 'eld
general commission. Moreover e SEE. you
don't look 'andsome 'opping about on your ind
legs like that Take m away, Jock Then e
went inside an that's all l got outer
Terence. Jock e seq, as slow as a march in
slow time. Stanley e SEE, that young beggar
didn't 60 for to it you L don't give q damn
whether g did or e didn't: 1T me e did,
l SEE; Then you've only got to report
to Brander,' SEE Jock. What dyer
take me forY SEE. as was SO mad nearly it
Jock. An . got me by the neck an showed
my cad into q bucket O. water in the cook
'ouse, an then We went back to the fort an
kit. E SEE to me: L haven't been strook with
out hittin' back We'll. you're going to be
now, l SEE, an give i'm one or two for ITSELF
an arxed i'm very polite to give t back, but e
didn't-rd a killed m if e 'ad. That did me
a lot O. good.
"Ouless e didn't make no show for some days
not till after you Was gone, an was feelin'
sick an miserable an didn't know what
wanted 'cept to black is little eyes good. 1
'oped Q might send me some money for my
tunic. Then I'd ha' had it out with him on
prade and took my chances. Terence was in
'ospital still, you see, an e wouldn't give me no
advice.
THE day after you left Ouless come across
me carryin' bucket on fatigue, an e SEE to
me very quietly: 'Ortheris, you've got to
come out shootin' with me- e seq, l felt like
to bunging the bucket in is eye, but l didn't.
l got ready instead. Oh, 'es a gentleman!
We went out together, neither ssyin' nothin'
to the other till we was well out into the jun
gle beyond the river, with Ugh grass all around,
pretty near that place where l went off my
eau Will you. 1uen puts us gun down an
SEE, very quietly:
.''Ortheris, 1 struck you on p'rade,' . seq.
"'Yes, SIR seq l, you did,
"Pve been studyin' it out myself e sez
"'Oh, you ave, ave you,' seq to myself, AN
a nice time you've been about it, you bun
faced little beggar.'
eyes, sirT SEE I. What made you screen
meY e SEE.
II don't know SEE. an no more did nor
do.
81 can't ask you to exchange @ seq. AN
don't want to exchange myself, SEE e.
"'Whats comm now?' I think to myself.
Yes, sir, SEE l.
He looked around at the ign grass all about,
an e seq to himself more than 10 me, I've got
to 90 through it alone-by myself. E looked
SO queer for minute that, s'elp me, thought
the little beggar was going to pray.
Then he turned round again an e seq:
What do you think yourselfr e sez
4 don't quite see what you mean, sir?' sez
"'What would you like? e seq. An thought
for minute he was goin' to give me money but
9 run is and up to the top button Of lis
shootin' coat an loosed it.
"'Thank you cir l SEE. I'D like that very
WELL SEE an both our coats was off an put
down.
"Hoorayr' shouted incautiously.
Don't make noise on the butts, said
Ouless from the shooting place. TT puts the
men off,"
Iapologized and Ortheris went on.
"'Our coats was off, an g SEE, Are Won
readyT SEE e. Come on, then come on, a
bit uncertain at first, but be took me one under
th< chi Htat