I'll be treated with proper respect; and, mark this, our
band shall be efficient, and the members shall practise till they are!"

He tapped the music-stand sharply, raised his baton, and then went on
talking.

"Here, you!" he cried. "Smithson, didn't you say?"

"Yes, sir."

"What did you say?"

"Smithson, sir."

"How dare you!" yelled the bandmaster, scarlet now with passion, for the
men burst out laughing again. "Don't you try to crack your miserable,
contemptible jokes on me, sir!"

"That was no joke, sir," said Dick.

"No, sir, it was not!" said the bandmaster, sharply. "You'll find jokes
dangerous things to crack here, sir!"

There was a murmur of acquiescence, and the little man smiled approval.

"Thought you were alluding to my name, sir," said Dick, apologetically.

"Indeed, sir?" said the bandmaster, sarcastically. "Not such an
attractive name that I would care to allude to it."

"Oh, you meant about the music of _Faust_, sir?" said Dick, pronouncing
the name of the opera as a German would--something like _Fowst_.

"The music of what?" said the bandmaster, screwing up his face as if the
sound were unpleasant to his ears.

"Gounod's opera, sir, I said. I know it pretty well."

"Dear me! you seem to know everything `pretty well;' perhaps you know
how to conduct `pretty well,' and would like to take my stick and lead?"

Dick looked down at the music, but made no reply, though the bandmaster
waited for a few moments.

"Then I suppose I may go on. Of course, the colonel has a right to
interfere, though I was not aware that he was a musician; and I think I
have had some little experience in musical matters, and if I had proper
material I could produce as good results as any man in the service; but,
hampered as I am by incompetents, and interfered with in matters of
which I ought to be the best judge, I don't know what can be expected,
I'm sure.--The March from _Forst_."

There was a sharp tapping of the baton, and Dick drew back to go and sit
down, when the spectacles glistened in his direction again.

"Keep your place, sir," shouted the little tyrant. "You can, as you are
here, try the flute part. Be careful!"

Dick felt a singing in his ears, and his fellow-flautist scowled.

Then there was a flourish of the leader's stick in the air, and the
brass instruments set off in the familiar march, every man blowing his
loudest, and keeping very fair, well-marked time, to the end of the
str