The Wheel O Fortune | Page 3

trappings. And he took himself seriously.
A good-looking lad, with smooth contours not yet hardened to the
military type, his face had in it a set gravity which proclaimed that he
would bear that flag whithersoever his country's need demanded. And it
was good to see him so intent on the mere charge of it in transit
between Chelsea Barracks and the Guard-room at St. James's Palace.
That argued earnestness, an excellent thing, even in the Household
Brigade.
Royson was amusing himself with the contrast between the two types
of banner-bearers he had gazed at in the short space of five minutes--he
was specially tickled by the fact that the Guards, also, were under
police protection--when he became aware that the features of the color-
lieutenant were familiar to him. A man in uniform, with forehead and
chin partly hidden by warlike gear, cannot be recognized easily, if there
be any initial doubt as to his identity. To determine the matter, Royson,
instead of following in the rear as he had intended, stepped out brightly
and placed himself somewhat ahead of the officer. He was near the
drums before he could make sure that he was actually within a few
yards of a former classmate. The knowledge brought a rush of blood to
his face. Though glad enough to see unexpectedly one who had been a
school friend, it was not in human nature that the marked difference
between their present social positions should not be bitter to him. Here
was "Jack" marching down the middle of the road in the panoply of the
Guards, while "Dick" his superior during six long years at Rugby, was
hurrying along the pavement, perhaps nearing the brink of that gulf
already reached by the Vauxhall processionists.
So Dick Royson's placid temper was again ruffled, and he might have
said nasty things about Fate had not that erratic dame suddenly thought,
fit to alter his fortunes. As the street narrowed between lofty buildings,
so did the blaring thunder of the music increase. The mob closed in on
the soldiers' heels; the whole roadway was packed with moving men. A
somber flood of humanity--topped by the drumsticks, the flag, the
glistening bayonets and the bearskins--it seemingly engulfed all else in
its path. The sparkle of the band, intensified by the quick, measured

tramp of the soldiers, aroused a furtive enthusiasm. Old men, bearded
and bent, men whom one would never suspect of having borne arms,
straightened themselves, stood to attention, and saluted the swaying
flag. Callow youths, hooligans, round-shouldered slouchers at the best,
made shift to lift their heads and keep step. And the torrent caught the
human flotsam of the pavement in its onward swirl. If Royson had not
utilized that clear space lower down the street, it would have demanded
the exercise of sheer force to reach the van of the dense gathering of
nondescripts now following the drum.
Nevertheless, a clearance was made, and speedily, with the startling
suddenness of a summer whirlwind. A pair of horses, attached to an
open carriage, were drawn up in a by-street until the Guards had passed.
So far as Royson was concerned, they were on the opposite side of the
road, with their heads towards him. But he happened to be looking that
way, because his old-time companion, the Hon. John Paton Seymour,
was in the direct line of sight, and his unusual stature enabled him to
see that both horses reared simultaneously. They took the coachman by
surprise, and their downward plunge dragged him headlong from the
box. Instantly there was a panic among the mob. It melted away from
the clatter of frenzied hoofs as though a live shell had burst in the
locality. Two staccato syllables from the officer in command stopped
the music and brought the Guards to a halt. The horses dashed madly
forward, barely missing the color and its escort. A ready-witted
sergeant grabbed at the loose reins flapping in the air, but they eluded
him with a snake-like twist. The next wild leap brought the carriage
pole against a lamp-post, and both were broken. Then one of the
animals stumbled, half turned, backed, and locked the front wheels. A
lady, the sole occupant, was discarding some heavy wraps which
impeded her movements, evidently meaning to spring into the road, but
she was given no time. The near hind wheel was already off the ground.
In another second the carriage must be overturned, had not Royson,
brought by chance to the right place, seized the off wheel and the back
of the hood, and bodily lifted the rear part of the victoria into
momentary safety. It was a fine display of physical strength, and quick
judgment. He literally threw the vehicle a distance of several feet. But
that was not