mouth open at the time, he must _keep_ his mouth open,
and shut it _after_ he has halted."

Here Jack took occasion to revert to the three orders, "Forward,"
"Halt," and "Fire," and repeated the lesson several times, until his men
were quite perfect. Then he put the various bodies under their
respective commanders, and telling the musketeers to make believe to
fire (but making sure that they should not really do it, by taking their
guns from them), he made each of us give the various words separately,
so that our men should become familiar with our voices.

This done, he called the generals of divisions to him, and said--

"Now, gentlemen, I am going to review my troops, and to give them their
final lesson in military tactics, with the double view of seeing that
they know what they have got to do, and of impressing them with a due
sense of the great advantage of even a slight knowledge of drill."

He then directed us to take command of our several companies (Makarooroo
being placed on this occasion over the king's band), and pointed out the
separate directions in which we were ultimately to post our troops, so
as to advance upon the spot on which the king stood when the signal
should be given. We had already taught the men the necessity of
attacking in a compact single line, and of forming up into this position
from what is termed Indian file, with which latter they were already
acquainted. Of course we could not hope to teach them the principles of
wheeling in the short time at our command. To overcome this difficulty,
we told each band to follow its leader, who should walk in front; to
advance when he advanced, to retire when he retired, and to turn this
way or that way, according to his movements.

At a signal we gave the word "Forward!" and the whole band defiled into
the woods before the king, and disappeared like a vision, to the
unutterable amazement of his majesty, who stood perfectly motionless,
with eyes and mouth open to their fullest extent.

Having marched together for some distance, each leader detached his men
and led them, as it were, to opposite directions of the compass, three
of the bands making a considerable detour, in order to get the spot
where the king stood in the centre of us. Then we halted and awaited
the next signal. In about ten minutes it was given--a loud whistle--and
we gave the word "Forward" again. I say "we," because the result proved
that we had done so. Being out of sig