und quickly made us start to our feet. In about five minutes the
bedding of each bed was neatly folded up, and the iron bedstead turned
up over it, with a pair of trowsers, folded into three parts, placed on
each, and a forage-cap and stock above. A line was then stretched along
the room to see if all the beds were made up of the exact size. This
done, the orderly-sergeant came into the room to see that everything was
correctly arranged; and if any bed was not done up properly, it was
immediately pulled to pieces, to be done up by the owner afresh. All
the men not on duty, except the recruits, turned out for half an hour's
drill in undress uniform. The orderly-sergeant having taken down
Marshall's name and mine in his memorandum-book, went out to drill his
company. They were dismissed at half-past seven, but the recruits were
kept a quarter of an hour longer, when the breakfast bugle sounded. The
room orderly, I should say, is a man told off to keep the room in order,
to draw all rations for the day for his room, to have meat and
vegetables weighed, to see that they are correct in quantity and
quality, and to take them to the cook of his company. At the sound of
the bugle, the orderly-men ran to the cook-house for their coffee, a
pint of which was served out to each man in a white basin, with a pound
of somewhat brownish bread. Breakfast over, the orderlies cleared away,
while the rest of the men commenced cleaning their appointments for
parade, which was to be at eleven o'clock. This was in full uniform and
light marching order. The recruits were to appear in plain clothes.

A sergeant came to Marshall and me, and told us to fall in. He then put
us through our facings.

"Right dress. Eyes front. Stand at ease," he exclaimed.

From having often stood at ease, when watching the men drilling, without
thinking of what I was about, I fell into the proper position.

"To what regiment did you belong, young man, before you joined the
90th?" asked the sergeant, thinking that he had caught a deserter.

"To none," I answered.

"Not so sure of that," said he.

"A man may have learned to drill without being a soldier," I remarked
quietly.

He said nothing; but I had better have held my tongue.

After the parade, we fell in and proceeded to the orderly-room, where
the colonel again inspected us, and asked the usual questions: "Can you
read?"

"Yes."

"Can you write?"

"Yes." And so on.

"That will do,