The sun., 1892-05-15
A REGIMENTAL SCANDAL.
The Majors Painful Experience.

The Majors Painful Experience.
~ CONAN DOYLE
opyrtsM 1892.
It was a very painful businesa I don't
think that any OF us have forgotten 1t or arc
at all likely to- The morality Of tho Third
Carabiniers was as loose as their discipline
was tight, and II a man rode r.rnight and
was keen on soldering he might work out
his private record In his own mind. But
still there is q limit to what even such a
thoroughgoing old sportsman as the Colonel
would stand. and that limit was passed on
the instant that there was breath Of suspi-
cion about fair play at the card table.
Take the mess through. they had ridden
through the decnlogue as Rayly as through
Arabi's guns at Kassassin. Professionally
they had made free with other mems lives.
But the unwritten laws OF honor lay unbroken
amid the shattered commandments. They
were short and sharp. and woe to the man who
transgrsssed them. Sporting debts must be
paid There was no such thing MS white
feather. Above all. . man must play fair.
It was simple code OF ethics. but 1t com
manded an absolute obedience which might
have been refused to more elaborate system.
Ifthero was one man In tho mess VINO could
be held up by the youngsters as the embodi-
ment OF honor. It was Major Errington. He
was older than the chief. and having served
twice as volunteer war correspondent and
once as q military attach6. he had been shot
over by Berdan's and Mannlicher repeaters.
which seemed to us much more gaudy thing
than Jezails or even Egyptian Remingtons.
We had all done Egypt and we had all done
the Soudan. but when he would begin his
modest little after-mess anecdote with II
remember when Gourko crossed the Balkans"
or Il was riding beside the Red Princes staff
just two days before Gravelotte." we would
feel quite ashamed Of our poor Fuzzies and
"Pathans." ana yearn to replace the foreign
Office by committee Of sutalterns Of the
Carabiniers. all pledged to spirited policy.
Then our Major was so humble and gentle
with 1t oil. That was his only fault as SOL
dier. He could Hght-none better-but ho
could not be stern. No matter how heinous
the crime OF the defaulter who was brought
before him. and no matter how resolutely ho
might purse up his features into frown. there
was still something so very human always
cleaning from his eyes. that the most drunk
en- deserter could not but feel that this. instead
Of being a commanding, officer, was merely q
man and q brother. Though far the richest
vate means. he lived always in the simpiest
fashion. Some even set him down as parsi;;
US saw in it only another example Of tho
A make others feel poor hy X. showing himself
lar. We, ,subalterns worshipped him. and
twas to him that we brought all those tins
nes sssne wsds To- r
He would sit patiently. with his cheIoot reek-
ing from the corner OF his mouth and his eyes
aaa then h1V Would coms the quick think that
you ought to withdraw the expression. Jones'"
S % % he sssa s as ds
ever. II we had been told that the chief had
burgled the regimental plate or that the chap
MAJOR to teal We shond sss ssson
ia SIo1 been guilty Of anything which was dis:
ss Sss! s
or take them. but BET he would. It was
p S nS rs S a ME to os shas
his little book ,upon the reGmental CUP: but
when he took to American railway scrip.
cent Bonds which we're selling at sixty-two.
he started game whore the odds are all on
TIE bank and the dealer sits so%ewhere re- near Ell
man man SHAT that Monte a' q Carlo was % SIC sound md
hsa sy in The nsDyfhSe cams ms
round The line was s1uelched by a big CAP:
italist. who wished to buy it. and our chiof
left the from eass 1s I 70 the Rew ony
it might be before he would need to send In his
papers. He said nothi nc. for ho was as proud
S eyes e in the morning. and his tunis did not 1T
him quite as tight as 1t used TO-. Of course We
fer hG his 1a ef
grief was a blight to tho regiment. She
she sn was sIis fresh and brsht and sprishtiy as
an English snring; and SO sweet and good
a9d thHt 81 she Just the tyre
to know them. you never think whether they
Pleasant to bo near them. to see their happy
faces. to hear their voices. and to have life
made sweeter and more beantifal, ". by their
Violet-from the old Major to the newly joined
subaltern with q brand.new razor eass. upon
cIouded over as tho SHADOW Of her fathers
troubles fell upon it, We clouded over also.
and the mas Of the Catfhhineers th esss, sank into
and Guelderman OF " was unuble to re-
deem It.
thinks thai atG. he Tao took the yheS heart
even more than the Colonel did. although it
had been against bis strenuous ADVICE that
mn old friend Of tn" chief. and he knew that
the disgrace Of banErurtey would DO the old
death puf wa' Of m ieneyr ever stu %,
how much So. for he was y shy. silent man.
nnI. in his English fashion. ho hid away his
Yet. with ali his care, we got a little peep at his
heart, II only through his gray eyes when he
looked at her and We knew that he was very
Tho chief used to go to his own room after
mess. and whoever wished was welcome to
follow him there Major Errington always
vent and tho two would play ecHr' by the
whist or smoked and looked on. it was
Tla eakns ats at too and TS ,Scy cAi MrS was aonn g
n. tn"y tnnw for they hai taken to playing high
points, Oi course the chief. bankruptcy or IL"
was always ready t. nlank, down whatever he
But It was so,nethin. new in ErrinG-
ton: Thore, had been . lime when 70
Now ho closed Mt once with every
challenge, and even seemed to Goad his oppo;
with the air OF u man who was xious about
the game-too anxious to be Guite good FORM
H. ia ia was tuttered and unlike himsalf