e of the plough-tail gentry sitting just opposite let fall a
speech which would have turned the stomach of a decent hog, if he had
happened to understand it. Polson's heart maddened within him, and he
smote his fist upon the unclothed table so that the plates of chipped
enamel iron danced from end to end on it.

'You filthy clodpole!' he said, rising from his place and thrusting a
prognathous jaw and blazing eyes half-way across the table. 'Speak like
that again in my hearing, and I'll give you such a hiding as you never
had since you were born.'

'And sarve him right, begorra,' said the man at the head of the table.
'It's sick I am of all the dirty stuff I've to listen to--An' dese boys
is 'listed for de war, and dere's not wan of 'em knows he mayn't be
stiff on de field in tree or four monts' time. An' be way of makin'
ready for a soldier's end an' a sudden meetin' wid his God, dey're
chewin' blasphaymious conversation from _reveille_ to lights out, so dey
are.'

'Thank you,' said Polson, and so sat down and tried to go on with his
dinner.

The meal was finished in silence. The scene had its effect, and it had
all the more surely for two or three things which happened later on.
Example. The whole rough squad was turned into the riding school
that afternoon dressed as they might happen to be. The accustomed old
drill-horses, saddled and bridled, were ranged on the tan at the wall,
with stirrups crossed over the shoulders, and when the word 'Mount' was
given, Polson was the only one of the newly recruited crowd who did not
make a painful climb in trying to obey the order. He was in the saddle
in a flash, and sat there like a centaur.

'We've got one man amongst us, seemin'ly,' said the old rough-riding
Sergeant.

'You've seen a horse before to-day, my lad.'

'One or two,' said Polson.

'Come out,' said the red-nosed drill.

'Let's see what you're good for. Put her at that.'

'That' was a furze-covered revolving pole mounted on swivelled trestles,
and about three feet high. It was a leap for a child, and Polson went
over it, turned and came nimbly back again. The instructor approached
him and took him by the foot and ankle.

'That's the shape for the cavalry leg,' he said. 'Keep that and don't
lose it. Now put her at it again.'

As the recruit turned to obey the order, the Sergeant mischievously
slashed the mare across the quarters, and the venerable she-trooper
skipped; but this was hardly a thing to sca