Gil the Gunner | Page 2

more and more roused, giving myself the credit
of being shamefully ill-used by every one, from General Crucie and the
professors, down to the newest comer, while the governor seemed to
me to be the greatest offender.
"Boasts about understanding boys and young men," I said bitterly, "and
does not know how to be just. I wish I was out of it all, and could go
away, so that I could be where people understood me, and--"

There was a sharp tap at the door, but I was too savage and sulky to
answer, and there was a fresh tapping on the panel.
"Vincent, why don't you answer? I know you are in there."
It was the voice of my fellow-pupil with whom I had been about to
fight, when the general came upon us.
"Well, what do you want?" I said sourly.
"The governor has sent me for you. Come along, look sharp. He wants
you in his room."
My temper bubbled up like the carbonic acid gas in a chemical
experiment, and my fists involuntarily clenched.
"To go there and be rowed," I thought; "and all through Morton. He
might have let me off now after bullying me before the chaps. And then
to send Morton!"
I stood quite still, frowning and angry, but all was still outside, and it
was evident that, after delivering his message, Morton had run down
again.
"A prig!" I muttered. "Lucky for him he didn't stop. I'd have punched
his head if I'd been expelled for it."
I crossed the room, and threw open the door to go down, for, amiable as
the governor always was to us, he was most stern and exacting in
having all his orders obeyed with military promptitude, and there stood
Morton waiting with, as I thought, a derisive smile on his face.
But I altered my opinion directly, for he held out his hand.
"I say, Gil, old chap," he said, "I'm sorry we fell out, and I'm jolly glad
the old boy came and stopped us. Pretty pair of fools we should have
looked by this time, with black eyes and swollen noses.--I was wrong.
Shake hands."

A few moments before I could have struck him; but now I was so
utterly overset by his frank manner, that it was not my nose which
swelled up, but my throat, so that I could hardly speak as I caught hold
of his hand and held it with all my force.
"No," I said huskily, "it wasn't your fault. Mine. I've got such a beastly
temper."
"Tchah! not you. Come on down; it's all right now."
"Not quite," I said grimly. "I've got to face the gov., and have another
dose. Has he given you yours?"
"No! 'Tisn't that Post's in, and he has had despatches or something. He
had a great sealed paper in his hand when he told me to fetch you."
"What?" I cried excitedly. "'Tisn't--?"
"I'm not sure, but I think it is," he said. "Come on."
I felt as if all my breath had been taken away. The blood flushed right
up to my temples; there was a singing in my ears, and my hands grew
moist in their palms with excitement; but I could not speak as we
hurried down.
"You are a lucky one," continued Morton. "I say, you do know some
one in the India House, don't you?"
"Yes," I said. "Uncle Joe's on the board."
"That's it, then. You've got your commission, as safe as wheat, as our
old coachman used to say. I salute you, sir. You'll be a Lord Clive one
of these days, before I get my captaincy."
"Oh, nonsense!" I cried, and then all seemed to be one buzz of
confusion, till I reached General Crude's study, and found him walking
up and down the room. He had left his table with his gold snuff-box in
one hand, his pinched-together finger and thumb of the other holding a
tiny modicum of snuff, which he applied to his nose as I entered, and

he stopped short before me.
"Oh, there you are, Vincent," he said in his prompt military way, and I
noticed that the trouble of a short time before was all put aside. "You
know what I want, I suppose?"
"I can't help guessing, sir."
"No, I suppose not. You must have plenty of interest, my dear lad, and I
congratulate you. Here you are appointed to the artillery. Calcutta."
"Ah!" I ejaculated; and in those busy moments as I stood looking right
ahead out of the study into my future, I felt as if young, slight, and
youthful as I was, boyhood was dropping away, and I was going to be a
man to command men.
"It's too early, Vincent," he said, shaking his head,