The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10

cause raw boys to be hustled out to Afri.
ca. with commissions. to lead seasoned sol
diers. after training of two in the militii
yeomanry, or a few months at Sandhurst
There were limited vacancies and plenty
of competition. while the invention o.
rules Of thumb for the selection OF fit SOL
diers to serve Her Majesty afforded scope
for the ingenuity of examiners and saved
trouble.
cts no bally use, Tommy; I practically
can't see a thing with my left" The Hon
Harold de Hochepied Josynghame had beer
looking at card covered with black lines
and spots. arranged in various groups and
Of distances from his face and at all sorts
Of angles. and had closed his right eye as
he did so. He added word not taught by
army crammers-at least. not in their cur
ricuium-and spun the card across. the
room. where it fell at the feet Of Tom
Smith. who looked at 1t without interest
and sighed.
II am awfully sorry. old chap" said his
bosom friend, in tone that hardly seemed
to convey quite all the sympathy friend
of it, for he added apologetically: I'm
awfuily sorry, you know, but I'm In the
same box. There's no help for it; we can't
pass the beastly exam. ,o;M We could have
passed into Sandhurst six, months ago
straight from school as far 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 it; that's all. We
can't
Its harder on me than you" The Hon.
Harold Josynghame looked on the point OF
tears; after all. If he was six feet high.
he was practically a boy. and. il you took
into consideration the De Hochepied inter-
est at the Horse Guards, had career be-
fore him. II could see with both eyes a
year ago, but you have always been q
squabby little beggar.'
Mr. Thomas Smith walked to the win
dow and looked out modify on Piccadilly.
They were in the smoking-room of a club
that gathers in many young men of blame
LEES records and public school education,
and welcomes them with open arms II their
athletic repute has arrived before them.
They had breakfasted early and had the
room to themselves.
DuEuO, Sdlt lUuuIuy Stuitu. Stiii III
cIined to be unsympathetic. If you will
take en- coalheaver you can't be surpris-
ed that he plugs you in the eye. or
course, it's deuced bad luck IL the injury
turns out permanent. but you shouldn't
have done IT.
1.-The brute was licking woman" re-
torted the Hon. Harold Josynghame. "and
you'd have done the same"
"Of course l should. but then. il am
too short for the Army by good quarter
of an inch. I've never been licked yet. and
If had got under his guard
Then his wife would have fetched 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
NO good arguing about it." said Tommy.
still downcast. and added, Il thought you
couldn't draw the weight. either. Too light
for your height. eh?"
"Oh, settled that all right" said his
friend. " left off riding for three months.
and took to a fattening diet. I've put on
nearly stone. I'm not as hard as l was.
Of course, but / shall satisfy the regula-
tions as far as weight coca"
Ibid it hurt much at the time?''
1.-THE eye? Pretty well: but 1 was SO
sore all over / hardly knew. and the
whack with the shovel knocked me nearly
silly. had lump on my head as big as
a hens egg"
Pretty good pluck of you to take on a
coal HEAVIER and his family" grunted his
friend. land jolly lucky the police came
UP. / suppose your eye is as bad as you
think
Certainly; it's practically gone"
Z. You make me wonder If mines all
right. Take the card and try me. Joskin.
there's a good chap. I see black spots
buzzing about all over the place. and
sometimes at night after mugging at any
thing in small print
He stood at the other side of the room
and answered questions as to the groups
CT 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, 1t
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 or the left. with the same result
Of perfectly correct answers.
do you mind looking at me once more"
said Tommy Smith. in breathless tone.
TRY to think l might be a very slippery
sort CT chap with glass eye, trying to
kid you
ROT" said Mr.. Josynghame again,
YEARLY. The performance was gone through
again with the same resufe9 and then he
added: Your right hands'i about as
shapeless as your left. Tommy, but neither
is transparent. I should have spotted you
if you had squinted through your fingers;
my eye is good enough for that"
You did not spot me. all the same. !"
said his friend, cooIly. 81 used my right
eye all the time. When you said. Cover
your left eye covered 1t with my left
hand; when you said. Cover your right
cred my left eye again. not my right at
ALL
Josynghame whistled. and his face lit up
perceptibiy. .s-
"of course, the doctor chap may not be
such an ass as you.' suggested Tommy
Smith, still looking gloomy.
III try it, said Josynghame quietly
He had been covering his left eye first
with one hand and then with the other.
Il quite see their point of view; but hang
it. II my good eye goes and have to leave
the service blind. it's my loss as well as
theirs
And if you become commander in chief
you'll have gene one better than Nelson.
He wasn't blind when he started. and
didn't have TO spool a medical board be-
fore he got show: he'd never have 60.
one at all If he had After all. If you fail.
you may look fool for five seconds-they
went give you longer to think about it.
and even then you will be no worse of
than you are now.
For five minutes they smoked cigarettes
in silence. Suddenly Tommy Smith gave a
wriggle in his deep armchair. and sat up.
with the first smile on his chubby fac,
that had appeared there that morning.
While devising juggles for his friend he
had been perfectly solemn: indeed they