Soldiers Three | Page 8

Tyrone stud to attention, begad, if I sucked on my poipe above a
whishper. Betune you an' me an' Bobs, I was commandin' the company,
an' that was what Cruik had thransferred me for, an' the little orf'cer
bhoy knew ut, and I knew ut, but the comp'ny did not. And there, mark
you, is the vartue that no money an' no dhrill can buy - the vartue av the
ould soldier that knows his orf'cer's work an' does ut - at the salute!
"Thin the Tyrone, wid the Ould Rig'mint in touch, was sint maraudin'
and prowlin' acrost the hills promishcuous an' unsatisfactory. 'Tis my
privit opinion that a gin'ral does not know half his time fwhat to do wid
three-quarthers his command. So he shquats on his hunkers an' bids
thim run round an' round forninst him while he considhers on ut. Whin
by the process av nature they get sejuced into a big fight that was none
av their seekin', he sez: 'Obsarve my shuparior janius! I meant ut to
come so.' We ran round an' about, an' all we got was shootin' into the
camp at night, an' rushin' empty sungars wid the long bradawl, an' bein'
hit from behind rocks till we was wore out - all except Love-o'-Women.
That puppy-dog business was mate an' dhrink to him. Begad, he cud
niver get enough av ut. Me well knowin' that it is just this desultorial
campaignin' that kills the best men, an' suspicionin' that if I was cut the
little orf'cer bhoy wud expind all his men in thryin' to get out, I wud lie
most powerful doggo whin I heard a shot, an' curl my long legs behind
a bowlder, an' run like blazes whin the ground was clear. Faith, if I led
the Tyrone in rethreat wanst I led them forty times. Love-o'-Women
wud stay pottin' an' pottin' from behind a rock, and wait till the fire was
heaviest, an' thin stand up an' fire man-height clear. He wud lie out in
camp too at night snipin' at the shadows, for he niver tuk a mouthful av
slape. My commandin' orf'cer - save his little soul! - cud not see the
beauty av of my strategims, an' whin the Ould Rig'mint crossed us, an'
that was wanst a week, he'd throt off to Cruik, wid his big blue eyes as

round as saucers, an' lay an information against me. I heard thim wanst
talkin' through the tent-wall, an' I nearly laughed.
"'He runs - runs like a hare,' sez the little orf'cer bhoy. "Tis demoralisin'
my men.'
"'Ye damned little fool,' sez Cruik, laughin'. 'He's larnin' you your
business. Have ye been rushed at night yet?'
"'No,' sez the child, wishful that he had been.
"'Have you any wounded?' sez Cruik.
"'No,' he sez. 'There was no chanst for that. They follow Mulvaney too
quick,' he sez.
"'Fwhat more do you want, thin?' sez Cruik. 'Terence is bloodin' you
neat an' handy,' he sez. 'He knows fwhat you do not, an' that's that
there's a time for ivrything. He'll not lead you wrong,' he sez, 'but I'd
give a month's pay to larn fwhat he thinks av you.'
"That kept the babe quiet, but Love-o'-Women was pokin' at me for
ivrything I did, an' specially my manoeuvres.
"'Mr. Mulvaney,' he sez wan evenin', very contempshus, 'you're growin'
very jeldy wid your feet. Among gentlemen,' he sez, 'among gentlemen
that's called no pretty name.'
"'Among privits 'tis different,' I sez. 'Get back to your tent. I'm sergeant
here,' I sez.
"There was just enough in the voice av me to tell him he was playin'
wid his life betune his teeth. He wint off, an' I noticed that this man that
was contempshus set off from the halt wid a shunt as tho' he was bein'
kicked behind. That same night there was a Paythan picnic in the hills
about, an' firin' into our tents fit to wake the livin' dead. 'Lie down all,' I
sez. 'Lie down an' kape still. They'll no more than waste ammunition.'
"I heard a man's feet on the ground, an' thin a 'Tini joinin' in the chorus.

I'd been lyin' warm, thinkin' av Dinah an' all, but I crup out wid the
bugle for to look round in case there was a rush, an' the 'Tini was
flashin' at the fore-ind av the camp, an' the hill near by was fair
flickerin' wid long-range fire. Undher the starlight I beheld
Love-o'-Women settin' on a rock wid his belt and helmet off. He
shouted wanst or twice, an' thin I heard him say: 'They should ha' got
the range long ago. Maybe they'll fire at the flash.' Thin he fired again,
an' that dhrew a fresh volley, and the long slugs