ery brief reply, but the tone made my sad-looking companion smile
sadly.

"Ah, Vincent," he said, "you can only see the parade and show. Yes; it
is very bright and fresh to you, but the time will come when all that
pomp will be very irksome to you, and you will wish that the Company
would let you dress simply and sensibly in a uniform suited to this
terrible climate, and in which you could use your limbs freely without
distressing yourself and your horse."

"But they look magnificent," I said.

"Yes, brilliant, my lad, brilliant; but there is another side to
soldiering besides the show. There! all this sounds as if I were trying
to damp and discourage you, but I have had seven years' hard work out
here in India, Vincent; perhaps, when you have been here as long, you
may talk as I do."

"I shall not," I muttered to myself. "I should be a poor soldier if I
did. What did you say?" I said aloud.

"I said that to-morrow morning we go ashore, and I can introduce you at
head-quarters when I go to report myself. But, Vincent, my lad, what
luck it would be if you had been in the horse brigade, and found
yourself appointed to my troop."

"Yes," I said, rather non-enthusiastically, for my hopes went in quite a
contrary direction.

"You would rather not," he said, gazing at me sadly, and I coloured up
like a girl, for I felt that he had read my thoughts. "I'm afraid you
don't like me, my lad."

My face burned as I said, "I've tried hard to like you ever since we
met."

"Tried," he said, smiling, as he raised his brows. "Ah, well! that is
frankly spoken, after all," and he walked away, leaving me feeling that
I had hurt his feelings by showing that I did not like him in the least.

We met next day, and I went with him to report myself, the officers I
saw making more than one jocular allusion to my being so much of a boy,
but good-humouredly telling me that I should soon correct that. Then
followed my introduction to my company in the artillery, where with my
Brandscombe knowledge I was soon able to hold my own, and obtained some
little notoriety from the interest I took in the horses which drew our
heavy guns. I never let slip a chance either of being present at the
parades of the horse artillery, visiting Captain Brace often; and I am
afraid very selfishly, for I felt little warmth for him as a man, though
a great deal for him as an officer, as I admired his bearing and the way
in which he handled his men.