Soldiers Three | Page 7

belt and a man's head, wasn't it?" Terence had
never given me the exact facts.
"It was. Faith, ivry time I go on prisoner's gyard in coort I wondher

fwhy I am not where the pris'ner is. But the man I struk tuk it in fair
fight, an' he had the good sinse not to die. Considher now, fwhat wud
ha' come to the Arrmy if he had! I was enthreated to exchange, an' my
Commandin' Orf'cer pled wid me. I wint, not to be disobligin', an' Larry
tould me he was powerful sorry to lose me, though fwhat I'd done to
make him sorry I do not know. So to the Ould Rig'mint I came, lavin'
Larry to go to the divil his own way, an' niver expectin' to see him
again except as a shootin'-case in barricks. . . . Who's that lavin' the
compound?" Terence's quick eye had caught sight of a white uniform
skulking behind hedge.
"The Sergeant's gone visiting," said a voice.
"Thin I command here, an' I will have no sneakin' away to the bazar,
an' huntin' for you wid a pathrol at midnight. Nalson, for I know ut's
you, come back to the verandah."
Nalson, detected, slunk back to his fellows. There was a grumble that
died away in a minute or two, and Terence, turning on the other side,
went on:-
"That was the last I saw av Larry for a while. Exchange is the same as
death for not thinkin', an' by token I married Dinah, an' that kept me
from remimberin' ould times. Thin we wint up to the Front, an' ut tore
my heart in tu to lave Dinah at the Depot in Pindi. Consequint whin
was at the Front I fought circumspectuous till I warrmed up, an thin I
fought double tides. You remimber fwhat I tould you in the gyard-gate
av the fight at Silver's Theatre."
"Wot's that about Silver's Theayter!" said Ortheris quickly, over his
shoulder.
"Nothin', little man. A tale that ye know. As I was sayin', afther that
fight us av the Ould Rig'mint an' the Tyrone was all mixed together
takin' shtock ay the dead, an' av coorse I wint about to find if there was
any man that remimbered me. The second man I came acrost - an' how
I'd missed him in the fight I do not know - was Larry, an' a fine man he
looked, but oulder, by token that he had a call to be. 'Larry,' sez I, 'how

is ut wid you?'
"'Ye're callin' the wrong man,' he sez, wid his gentleman's smile; 'Larry
has been dead these three years. They call him "Love-o'- Women"
now,' he sez. By that I knew the ould divil was in him yet, but the ind
av a fight is no time for the beginnin' av confession, so we sat down an'
talked av times.
"'They tell me you're a married man,' he sez, puffing slow at his poipe.
'Are ye happy?'
"'I will be whin I get back to Depot,' I sez. ''Tis a reconnaissance
honeymoon now.'
"'I'm married too,' he sez, puffin' slow an' more slow, an' stopperin' wid
his forefinger.
"'Sind you happiness,' I sez. 'That's the best hearin' for a long time.'
"'Are ye av that opinion?' he sez; an' thin he began talkin' av the
campaign. The sweat av Silver's Theatre was not dhry upon him, an' he
was prayin' for more work. I was well contint to lie and listen to the
cook-pot lids.
"Whin he got up off the ground he shtaggered a little, an' laned over all
twisted.
"'Ye've got more than ye bargained for,' I sez. 'Take an inventory, Larry.
'Tis like you're hurt.'
"He turned round stiff as a ramrod an' damned the eyes av me up an'
down for an impartinent Irish-faced ape. If that had been in barricks, I'd
ha' stretched him an' no more said; but 'twas at the Front, an' afther such
a fight as Silver's Theatre I knew there was no callin' a man to account
for his timpers. He might as well ha' kissed me. Aftherwards I was well
pleased I kept my fistes home. Then our Captain Crook -
Cruik-na-bul-leen - came up. He'd been talkin' to the little orf'cer bhoy
av the Tyrone. 'We're all cut to windystraws,' he sez, 'but the Tyrone

are damned short for noncoms. Go you over there, Mulvaney, an' be
Deputy-Sergeant, Corp'ral, Lance, an' everything else ye can lay hands
on till I bid you stop.'
"'I wint over an' tuk hould. There was wan sergeant left standin', an'
they'd pay no heed to him. The remnint was me, an' 'twas high time I
came. Some I talked to, an' some I did not, but before night the bhoys
av the