The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-06-12

rica, with commissions. to lead
seasoned soldiers. after 6
training or two In the militia or ysoman'
ry. or a few months at sandhurst- There
were limited vacancies and plenty Of com
petition. while the invention OF rules OF
thumb for the selection of it soldiers to
serve her ajesty afforded scope for the
ingenuity OF examiners and saved trouble.
Its no bally use, Tommy: ! practically
can't zee a thing with my left. The
Hon. Harold de Hochepied JosynghAme
had been looking at q card covered with
black lines and spots, arranged In various
groups and confgurat1ons; he had held 1t
at all sorts OF distances from his face
and at all sorts OF angles. and had closed
his right eye he did so. He added
word not taught by army crammers-at
least, not IN their curriculum-and spun
the card across the room. where 1t fell
at the feet of Tom Smith. who looked at
1t without interest and sighed.
''I am awfully sorry, old chap" said his
bosom friend. in a tone that hardly
seemed to convey quite all the sympathy
friends tone should. He must have
been conscious of It. for he added apollo
getically: I'm awfully sorry. you know,
but I'm in the same box. There's no help
for It: we can't pass the beasty exam.
We could have passed into Sandhurst six
as the work goes. but we've got TO pass
the medical in less than six hours from
now. and we can't either of US do 1t; that's
all. We can't"
IT'S harder on me than you" The
Hon. Harold Josynghame looked on the
point of tears; after all, II he was six
feet high, he was practically a boy, and
II you took into consideration the De
Hochepied interest at the Horse Guards.
had a career before him. Il could see
with both eyes year ago; but you have
always been a squabby little beggar"
Mr Thomas Smith walked to tho
window and looked out moodily on Pic
cadiliy. They were in the smoking room
of club that gathers In many young
men of blameless records and public
schools education. and welcomes them
with open rrms II their athletic rspute
has arrived before them. They had
breakfnsted early and had the room TO
themselves.
Dunno" said Tommy Smith. still in
clined to be unsympatheuc. "If you will
take on coalheaver you can't be sur
prised that he plugs you in the eye. or
course, it's deuced bad luck II the injury
turns out permanent. but yoH shouldn't
have done it"
THE brute was licking a woman re-
torteo tne HON farOlu JosynSnatHs' anu
you'd have done the same"
OF course I should. but then. II am
too short for the army by a good quarter
of an inch, I've never been licked yet.
and II had got under his guard
Then his wife would have fetched a
fire shovel and taken you in the rear as
she did me. the ungrateful beast! No.
| Tommy. you're as hard as nails and as
strong as a bull and have thick head.
but you'd have been done. too"
\ mo good arguing about It," said
| Tommy, still downcast. and added. Il
thought you couldn't draw the weight.
either. Too light for your height. chr
"Oh. settled that all right" said his
friend. IT left on riding for three
months. and took to fattening diet.
I've put on nearly q stone. I'm not as
hard us 1 was, Of course. but shall
satisfy the regulations as far as weight
goes"
Did It hurt much at the timer
"The eyer Pretty we'll; but l was 80
sore all over l hardly knew. and the
whack with the shovel knocked me nearly
silly. I had a lump on my head as big
as a hens egg
Pretty good pluck of you to take on
a coalheaver and his family" srunted his
friend. "and jolly lucky the police came
| up. suppose your eye is az bad as you
think"
Certainly; it's practically gone
| "You make me wonder mines all
right. Take the card and try me. Joskin.
there's a good chap. I see black spots
buzzinE about all over the place some
times at night after muggtng at anything
in small print
| He stood at the other side Of the room
and answered questions as to the groups
OF lines and spots on the card with fault
less accuracy.
| when they tell you to close one eye
they expect you to put your hand over
It," said Mr.. Josynghame: "of course II
makes no difference"
| Suspicious beasts" answered Tommy
Smith: but he said moment later. II
don't know. though; try me again"
Rot" said Mr.. Josynghame. and he re-
peated his former directions to close the
right eye the left with the same re-
suit of perfectly correct answers.
DO you mind booking at me once more, )"
said Tommy Smith. in breathless tone.
Try to think might be a very slippery
sort of chap with a glass eye trying 70 hid
you"
Rot" said Mr.. Josynghame again,
| weartly. The performance was gone
through again with the same result. and
then he added: Your right hand Is
about as shapeless as your left, Tommy,
but neither is transparent l should have
spotted you II you had squinted through
your fingers; my eye is good enough for
1 that"
You did not spot me, all the same"
said his friend, coolly. II used my right
! eye all the time. When you said Cover
your left eye,' I covered 1t with my left
hand; when you said Cover your right
| eye I put up my right hand, but 1 COW
cred my left eye again. not my right at
| ALL"
| Josynghame whistled, and his face lit
| up perceptibly.
| "Of course, the doctor chap may not
| be such an ass as you,' suggested Tom