Scarlet and Steel. Some modern military episodes

Preface

. SAID an officer of twelve years' standing, to whom the writer imparted the facts on which Book III. of this work is based : " I never realised all this : you have made me think." Now, when a Briton of average brains and education takes thought in earnest, the conclusions at which he arrives are — professional prepossessions notwith standing — usually sound, and have a practical issue frequently involving a little hard hitting. Of this, if needful, the author is quite willing to take a share ; because, though the British soldier is the best cared for in the world, the shadow of a shameful possibility still hangs over him ; given his commission of a military — which is by no means necessarily an ethical — crime. The author regrets any small inaccuracy which may have inadvertently crept in, and the anachronism — necessary for the purposes of the story — of depicting cavalry life of a few years back, while the prison experience is up to date.

PREFA CE. It is as well to remark that every regiment in the service has — in addition to regulations affecting the whole Army — its own unwritten code of customs. Each military prison, too, while governed by the same general rules, has variations in detail ; but all herein described has been, at the expense of much time and pains, carefully verified from trustworthy sources — including the " Rules for Military Prisons, made under the Army Discipline and Regulation Act, 1879. Published, 1881." Statements are not those of prisoners or discharged officers, and individual characters of prison officials are, though such as the system produces, fictitious. Book II. has been revised throughout by competent professional authorities. CONTENTS. 3Boofe I. SHOLTO THE MAGNIFICENT. CHAP. PAGE I. A VENERABLE PARENT .....

I II. THE DESPOT OF THORNHAUGH . . .II III. dragon's TEETH . . . . 1 8 IV. A FACE IN A PICTURE . . 25 v. "the arrow by day" 33 VI. SINISTER ........ 4O VII. THE STORM BURSTS ..... 45 VIII. IN THE COLLAR . . . . . 52 Bool? II. HONOUR AND ARMS. IX. THE ROAD TO FAME ...... 62 X. THE CUIRASSIER'S PROGRESS . 69 XI. PAINFUL BUT SALUTARY . . - • 79 XII. TROOPER AND BARRISTER .... 88 i.\ CONTENTS. X CHAP. PAGE XIIL BOOT AND SADDLE . ■ 9^ XIV. CI-DEVANTS . . . .107 XV. A SURREPTITIOUS ARCADIA . . . I 1 5 XVI. SHOLTO INGRATIATES HIMSELF . . .123 XVII. MINE ENEMY . . . . 133 XVIII. "LESS THAN KIND " . . . . -139 XIX. A MILITARY " CRIME " . . . . -145 XX. " PLAY THY HARP, DAVID ! " . . . . 149 XXI. HOLDING THE POSITION . . . . . 1 62 XXII. THE COLONEL IS ANNOYED . . . . I7O XXIII. SHOLTO IS BANKRUPT . . . . . 1 76 XXIV.

TELEMACHUS AND TWO MENTORS . . 1 83 XXV. RISEN FROM THE RANKS . . I9I XXVI. " FACILIS EST DESCENSUS " . . . . 200 XXVII. "CONDUCT PREJUDICIAL " .... 208 æoofc in. THE PURGATORY OF MARS. XXVIII. SHOLTO IS "COLLECTED" . . . .221 XXIX. THE SONG OF THE SACK . . . 232 XXX. SHOLTO'S MASTER ...... 24O XXXI. AN UNSATISFIED IDEALIST .... 250 XXXII. REFRACTORY . . . I 253 XXXIII. A CAT-ASTROPHE ...... 259 XXXIV. AN INFLAMMATORY POEM .... 266 XXXV. MANUFACTURED MADNESS .... 274 XXXVI. A TUNE ON THE TRIANGLES . . . 28 CONTENTS. XI CHAP. PACE XXXVII. THE PERFECTED IDEAL ..... 286 XXXVIII. THE DIRE DAWN ...... 292 XXXIX. SAMSON AGONISTES ..... 299 XL. THE PONY ...... 305 XLI. THE WHIPPED CUR . - . . 313 XLII. FREEDOM'S LADDER ..... 320 XLIII. CORPORAL THE HON. JOHN COURT . . 327 Book IV. THE PERFECTED PRODUCT. XLIV. LIGHT FROM A WINDOW . . . -334 XLV. THREE ADVOCATES ..... 344 XLVI. UNDER A NEW STAR . . . 358 l'envoi ....... 360 1.

Chapter I

A VENERABLE PARENT. It was a joyful autumn day ; the west wind sang as it tossed the branches of the trees, carpeting the earth beneath them with crimson and gold ; the harvested fields shone white in the dazzling sunlight, or darkened into purple under the shadows of fast drifting clouds. The uplands were a little parched by the glare of a late hot summer, but the pastures through which the river brimmed over fringes of forget-me-not and lilac willow herb were still lush and green. Across the sunny clear ings of the great woods that crest the Woldshire slopes pheasants whirred with a flash of copper-purple and emerald. Hunting men were beginning to overhaul their stables, and M.F.H.s their kennels. A leisurely train slid into the small country station of Thornhaugh-cum-Sleete, past the station-master's flower-beds gay with pink .and lilac asters, and his trim red brick cottage veiled with late purple clematis, and pulled up.

Two or three female natives, with big baskets and serviceable umbrellas, got out from the third-class end, and received friendly greetings from the porter who was eating filberts gathered from the nearest lane ; he suddenly bolted the last, and ran in a hurry, touching his cap as he ran, to open the door of the one first-class carriage, in which he had caught an unexpected glimpse of a local magnate. " Hallo, Tate ! " said a voice from within. " Didn't expect me ? " " Glad to see you, sir," responded the polite Tate. " Any luggage but your portmanteau, sir ? " He was quite aware that Mr. Sholto Mauleverer was at Oxford, and that this was not a time for a vacation from that seat of learning. " Yes, a lot. Get it out, will you ? And I say, Tate, have they anything decent in the way of a trap at the Dragon ?

I'm not expected." " Yes, sir, Mr. Godwin has bought Squire Payne's dogcart and his grey cob." He looked a little curious ; but he was acquainted with Mr. Sholto Mauleverer, and asked no questions. " All right. Send a youngster for it, will you ? Here, Tate," — he presented the porter with a cigar. " Ah ! county neighbours already ! " Brushing some of the railway dust from his habiliments, he sauntered down the platform with a slight assumption of swagger, towards two elderly gentlemen in riding costume, who had just strolled in. " Why, Sholto ! " said the elder and stouter, who had that cheerful pinkness of cheek and clearness of eye which belongs only to the man of outdoor pursuits. " What brings you down in September ? " " Oh, Nemesis, I suppose," said Sholto, with an in different laugh ; " I'm 'sent down'.

Have a cigar, sir ? or won't you, Sir Charles? Unless you think Intimidads are too strong " " I think I can stand what you can stand, my boy," said Sir Charles Leicester, rather grimly. Sholto merely laughed again, and remarked : " My father says that my weeds are fit to blow his head off." He chatted a little more on local matters, then strolled away with a nod of careless courtesy, saying : " I think I'll go and see if they have any decent drink at the Dragon, and hurry up the trap." The two left looked at each other with meaning, and Sir Charles observed piously : " Thank goodness he's not my son ! It would break my heart if Ted got into that sort of scrape ; especially if he made as light of it as young Mauleverer does." " It's a pity, too," said Mr. Vernon, " for he's a fine young fellow, and a good deal of it is his father's fault.

The most selfish old heathen ! " "Well, I grant you," said Sir Charles, "that Sholto has had absolutely no bringing up ; worse than that, for the old man treats him as an equal, and talks to that boy about things" — he mumbled a little — ■" well, as if he were a man of fifty. But I can't stand his conceit ; swaggering about as if the world were made for him. A perfect tyrant at home, I've heard ; his cousin, young Scadden, daren't call his soul his own ! " " Ah, well ! " said the milder Vernon, " he'll sind out his mistake some day, perhaps. Here's the train. Now let's see if those dogs turn up." Meanwhile Mauleverer had strolled down the dusty white road to the snug Dragon, with its bay-windowed parlour decorated with geraniums, and its trim, shining bar, into which he walked, treating the landlady with amiable familiarity, and nodding in a complimentary manner to the barmaid.

" Why, Mr. Sholto," said the fat Mrs. Godwin, " you're grown again, I do believe ! " She had known him since he was a very small boy, so small that he could hardly stride his little brown rat of a pony, or understand one hundredth part of his father's conversation — which latter, perhaps, was no loss. He was still young enough to deprecate her assertion. " Oh, nonsense ! Got anything good to drink ? Beastly dusty in the train ! " " Godwin has some beautiful port— Squire Payne's, you know, Mr. Sholto. He bought it when he bought the cob. I'll send it into the parlour ; it's cooler there — unless you prefer " " I like port ; it's a family failing," said Sholto. He lounged into the parlour, threw himself on a broad well-worn sofa, and glanced idly over the county paper. He made no inquiries after the cart, for the heir of the Mauleverers felt that an awkward home-coming was before him.

He was good-looking ; but his good looks were of a peculiar character. His hair, of that dark auburn which is almost black, curled closely round his head — a proud head, not given to bending to any yoke of duty or discipline — his eyes, very dark grey with shifting tints of violet, long shaped and indolent, were set rather near eyebrows finely marked and having a distinct upward curve at the temples. His nose was long and slightly aquiline ; that, and his mouth, were modelled with ex treme delicacy ; his under lip was full and his chin pointed. He had that faint yellow tinge of complexion which usually accompanies auburn hair. A decided growth of silky young moustache covered his upper lip, and the hand which now fingered it nervously was, though of masculine size, almost effeminately fine in texture.

It was easy to perceive that Mr. Sholto Mauleverer had not as yet seen the rough side of this mortal life, and that he would be likely to make strong objection when it was forced upon him. He was tall and, at present, slight, with the easy graceful lankiness of a thoroughbred colt. He tossed the newspaper aside with an impatient exclamation, got up and stared absently out of the window ; returned, and helped himself to the port, which Annie the barmaid had just brought in with a conscious air ; but she was conscious in vain, for Sholto was not yet deeply enamoured of the sex in general, and especially not of barmaids and the like. He gave only an absent nod of thanks, and asked reluctantly if the dog cart were ready. Presently it came round, brought by a young ostler respectfully admiring Sholto's perfect " get up " and the agreeable insolence of his manners.

" He don't want no whip, sir," he ventured, as the young man took the reins. " Thanks, my lad ; I've driven a few," said Mauleverer of nineteen ; but he stuck the whip-handle in its bucket — he was kind to animals, whatever he may have been to men — and drove off. It was a three-miles' drive through a country of long slopes and rolling pastures ; by a deep lane fenced with tall hedges and taller elms to a straggling village, and thence down a hill to the lodge gates of a mansion of purple-red brick, which stood at the end of a fine but formal avenue, with another hill swelling gently behind it. The grey cob was taken very slowly up the avenue and pulled up almost stealthily at the broad hall steps. A footman in a handsome livery — palpably a London footman, for he was incapable of surprise — admitted Sholto.

" My father in ? " he asked indifferently. " In his study, sir." " All right," said Sholto, waving the man aside. He sauntered down a long carpeted passage, and tapped at the door of a room that looked south. " What the deuce are you knocking for, you fool ? " said a peevish voice, which changed into angry amazement as Sholto entered. " Good heavens ! What brings you here ? " " The dogcart from the Dragon," said the flippant Sholto. He stood looking down at his father, who looked up with unequivocal disgust in reply. He was like his son in feature, and had been even handsomer ; but a bad youth, a blase" manhood, and an old age of selfish luxury had coarsened and marred his face. A crest of silver hair gave a superficially venerable impression, at once contradicted by his cold, narrow eyes, sunk deep under bushy black brows ; a certain flaccidity of skin, showing waxen yellow against a fine white beard, indicated ill health.

His fat, flabby figure was clothed roomily in the finest materials ; he wore one ring, of price, on his little finger. The room was furnished with studied luxury — carpets which silenced every footfall ; lounging chairs of downy ease ; a grate, built after the newest scientific fad, adorned with antique Indian tiles. A few velvet plaques and brackets held pieces of Oriental china and metal work. There was a picture or two on the walls hung with stamped leather — a Lely, an Etty, a large frame con taining some of Blake's etchings. A Louis-Quinze table at the owner's elbow held a rare orchid in a specimen glass, a Sevres dish of peaches and grapes, and a French novel. No apartment in Thornhaugh Hall was furnished with the same care ; though the dining and drawing rooms were fine enough to an upholsterer's taste, and Sholto's rooms had plenty of masculine fripperies.

" Don't be a fool ! " said the father — it was Mr. Mauleverer's favourite term for all his kind. " Tell me what on earth is the meaning of this." " Well, sir," said Sholto with calmness, though his cheek flushed a little, " the meaning is, that Alma Mater dispenses with the honour of my company for this term. I'm sent down. I'll take a chair and a peach if you'll allow me ; I'm rather tired and hungry." He suited the action to the word. His father laughed angrily. " You take it coolly, upon my word ! Might one ask in what way you disgraced yourself?" " Oh, thc usual thing," said Sholto, peeling his peach with delicate fingers. — " Fine this year, aren't they, sir ? — Wine in, wit out. I have a hazy recollection of knock ing somebody about in the High — I think he was a local butcher and pugilist — and of resenting the strictures of the authorities.

I can tell you the details if you wish, but I think it would bore you extremely." Then the storm broke. Mr. Mauleverer, senior, who looked at first sight like a Scripture patriarch, became most unscriptural in language and conduct. He raved and swore — not very loud, because he knew it was bad for his heart, but with deadly emphasis — threatened vague penalties, and declared that since Sholto had forfeited, by his own idiocy, that hall-mark of a gentle man, a University career, he might go to the devil his own way. "But what else could I expect?" he concluded. " An impertinent, selfish young puppy ! " Sholto was indifferent at first, then a trifle angry ; but in neither mood at all like a son condemned by a father. He said " Sir " indeed, occasionally, but his replies were not otherwise dutiful.

When Mr. Mauleverer stopped for want of breath, he retorted hotly : " I think that's awfully unjust ! You always told me not to get in with a reading lot, nor to go in for honours. You said you didn't care what money I spent, or what I did, so long as I associated with gentlemen, and got through somehow. Every fellow runs these risks who is in a sporting set. I shouldn't excite myself, sir, if I were you. It'll come all right when I go up next term." Mr. Mauleverer declaimed a little more, then suddenly fell into silence and began to think, his eyes twinkling under his shaggy brows as he fixed them on Sholto's indolent figure. His silence was more disconcerting than his anger ; Sholto moved his long legs uneasily, and said at last in a tone of irritated appeal, "Well, sir?" "Well," said the elder man slowly.

He leaned his head back against the velvet cushion and put his finger tips together with a cynical smile. " I was thinking. I'm not sorry in some ways that you have come to grief; it's confoundedly dull here by myself. I hate the drivel of these country oafs — cattle, and crops, and their wives' toothaches. My health won't allow me to go to London. On the whole," he concluded, his eyes resting with amusement on Sholto's changing coun tenance, " you had better not go back at all. * ou amuse me, because — though you are my son — you still have youthful illusions. So you can make up your mind to settle down here. Understand ? " Sholto was dismayed, and in his dismay, boyish. " But I say, sir, everybody will think it much worse than it is! Besides, I like the life. I think it's un commonly hard you should jump down my throat like this !

I haven't done anything so fearfully bad ! " Mr. Mauleverer was amused. " My good fellow, do you really think me the conventional father, reading a moral lecture to his erring child ? It's not my horror of your vices, but a pardonable consideration for my own comfort as an invalid, that influences my decision. You ought to be flattered that I should find any pleasure in the society of anything so immature. And, really, you are younger than I thought — quite childish." The discomfited Sholto disregarded this taunt. " The other men who came down with me are going back all right ; though, of course, they expected their people to be awfully upset, too." "I'm not 'awfully upset'," said his father with a sneer. " I'm a philosopher, and I see that all is for the best." "Well, I'm glad," said Sholto youthfully, "my mother isn't alive."

" What ! " said his father, in a tone which implied far more wrath than his ravings. Sholto's temper was not sweet either, and he repeated with sulky defiance, " I'm glad my mother isn't alive. One of the other fellows told me he didn't mind what his father said " " Very dutiful ! " " — But he couldn't bear the thought of facing the mater ; and he meant to keep straight in future, because of her." " Sentimental trash ! " said Mauleverer, senior, who hated sentiment only a degree less than religion. " I quite understand it," said Sholto, partly in sincerity, partly in waywardness ; " I've no doubt I might have been more sentimental, as you call it, if my mother — Why do you never talk to me about her, sir?" He fixed his dark eyes on his father's face with a strange look, half soft, half stern.

The old man met it with an inscrutable stare ; then he said, with icy sarcasm, — " I'll tell you this. Your mother was deuced hand some, and a deuced little fool ; and that's all I shall say." Sholto bit his lip and was sullenly silent ; his parent proceeded to give him paternal counsel of a kind that may perhaps be guessed, and need not be repeated. He was a liberal old gentleman : to evil, as evil, he had no objection ; only to its results, in expense or annoyance to himself. Sholto was not a good boy, but even he raised his eyebrows and a youthful blush suffused his cheek, at one or two remarks. He did not, however, attempt to combat his father's decision ; he was well aware that in all things which concerned Mr. Mauleverer's own comfort he was adamant. When his lecture was over he got up and said listlessly, — " Well, I suppose I can amuse myself here.

There's the shooting, and then hunting. I can have another hunter or two, can't I, and go up to town sometimes? " " By all means, if you won't treat me to any more heroics. And you'll have your beloved cousin's com pany, till he gets his commission." " Hang my cousin ! " said Sholto. " You don't know what a little sneak Scadden is, sir." " Well, he won't be here long," said the elder Mauleverer. " And he knocks under to you pretty well, I think." He held out his hand. " There, Sholto, that's over. Go upstairs now, and change your clothes, and we'll have a stroll round the houses till dinner. McLaren has some capital orchids." Sholto laid his arm on his father's shoulder — he had capacities for affection if there had been any outlet for them. He would much rather have gone round the stables ; but he adopted the course prescribed, and after an epicurean dinner — solemnly discussed and enjoyed by both — his father's evening nap enabled him to retire to the solace of a pipe and a chat with the stud groom.

Chapter II. The Despot Of Thornhaugh

A FEW weeks later, Sholto and his cousin, Scadden Mauleverer, were seated at a leisurely breakfast in the morning-room. It looked on the old walled fruit-garden where the espaliers were heavy with russet and yellow pears, and a few late plums still blushed purple-red among the amber leaves. The grass under the apple trees was dewy, and the dark masses of evergreens seen against the low grey sky brought out the vivid tints of the sheltered dahlias which had survived the early frosts. " Those are better than anything in my father's jewel case," said Sholto, with the fine scorn of opulent youth for all that money can buy, pointing to the spots of dazzling scarlet, delicate pink, and dim gold above their blackened foliage. " They're well enough," said the other, with a careless glance. " But give me the jewel-case."

He concluded with a faint chuckle, and Sholto looked scornful. " Because they cost more, I suppose," he said. " What a fellow you are for money ! " " You never felt the want of it," said his cousin. Scadden had very little of the family good looks : his features were insignificant, an Aztec profile, thin lips, and two light cat-like eyes looking slyly through white eyelashes. His hair was sandy and his stature small, with narrow shoulders and a hollow back. He tried his utmost to be prepossessing, but it was scarcely a success. He would run anybody's errands, cajole, flatter, submit, profess himself in his peculiar soft lisp, a person of no account ; but every now and then, from under the modest velvet paw a poisoned claw would shoot and scratch ; and he had a deathless memory for slights and deprivations — especially Sholto's. Sholto, it must be owned, was overbearing and arrogant ; impatient of the little meannesses of a penniless dependent ; disdainful of the very sub servience he demanded.

He looked forward with joy to the time, not now far off, when Scadden would receive his commission in the cheapest cavalry regiment attainable, and be permanently out of his way. "Well, Scad," he said, with cheerful condescension, " another fortnight and you'll be off. I wonder how you'll like the army ? I met a fellow in your regiment who came to see his brother at Caius — rather a duffer, but I suppose they're not all alike." " I hope I shall do my duty," said Scadden with humility. " We can't all be swells." He lifted his upper lip, and shot a quick glance across the table. " Of course not," said Sholto. " There must be regiments for younger brothers and cousins " — he lay back in his chair and laughed — " eh, Scad ? But I must say, for my own taste, if I couldn't go into a ' crack ' I wouldn't go at all."

" You and I are different," said Scadden, in his soft level voice ; " we always were." " Well, yes," Sholto assented, caressing his nascent moustache with an indolent hand. " Now, if I had gone into the army, it would have been the Cuirassiers. I did think of it, but somehow my father was against it — some fad or other. It's the best uniform in the service," he added boyishly. " It would suit you particularly well, I should think," said Scadden. " I believe most of the officers are rich and bumptious." " Ah ! I know I'm bumptious," said Sholto airily. " And of course I shall be rich when the poor old dad THE DESPOT OF THORNAUHGII. 13 goes off the hooks. There's one thing, old chap, you would never have done for a good regiment, because you can't ride a bit." Scadden looked down at his plate with a secret frown ; looked up again, and said mildly : " I haven't had your opportunities."

" Oh ! I don't know. You've always had a mount here in your holidays. That reminds me, Scadden, don't you take out Zaida any more ; her mouth is a little too perfect to be pulled at. And you know," Sholto added with cousinly candour, " you've no hands, though you can stick on decently." Scadden's face grew scarlet to the roots of his hair. " She just suits me, and you are too heavy for her. But " — he saw the haughty gathering of Sholto's brow ■ — " I'll try to remember." " All right," said Sholto. " I spoke for your good, as well as hers. You'd be as likely as not to pull her over on you when she rears." He got up with a patronising nod. " I promised to read one of those con founded French sentimentalities to my father. How he can like such sickly trash, I don't know. Faugh ! " He strolled out, and Mr. Scadden Mauleverer betook himself by devious paths to the stables.

Before Sholto began his reading, he remarked to his father, with a sudden access of wisdom : " That fellow Scadden is always trying to get at me." Mr. Mauleverer was entertained ; Sholto did entertain him, unconsciously, a good deal. " Have you only just found that out ? " " I had a hazy idea of it before," said Sholto slowly. " He hates me, I fancy ; but it don't matter, because I despise him." " Sholto," said Mr. Mauleverer, laying a paternal hand impressively on his son's knee as he sat by the bed, " never despise anybody ; at any rate, don't show that you do." " What harm can he do me ? Poor little cad ! " said Sholto the magnificent. "You are a great man, Sholto," said his venerable parent. " But you don't know everything yet." "Thank you, sir," said Sholto, and the conversation dropped.

An early frost had imparted a slight pleasant edge to the air when he swaggered gaily into the broad quadrangle of the hall stables. The sky was pale autumnal blue, and the grey silver of the morning mist still lingered in woodland and valley. The aspect of the country, seen from the breakfast-room window, and the scent of the rotting leaves, agreeably suggested the approach of the hunting season ; so he had come to have a word with the stud groom about his charges in general, and also to take out Zaida, the Arab mare, for a little jumping practice. The easy, vigorous grace of his tall supple figure was well set off by his smart riding-costume ; and a little tendency to swagger in everything was pardonable in a spoilt child of fortune. Now, the spoiling of a good mother sometimes keeps alive the purer emotions ; but the spoiling of such a father as Mr. Mauleverer can be nothing but injurious.

Sholto smote his brown gaiters impatiently with his gold-mounted riding-crop and, lifting his voice, called, " Hallo ! Somebody ! " A young helper ran out of the stables in obsequious haste. " I want Barnes. Fetch him, will you ? " The lad ran off to the stud groom's quarters at the other side of the square, and Sholto, whistling a popular air, strolled into the stables. Everything had the stamp of that staid equine foppery which is nowhere seen in such perfection as in the Shires. Every bit of metal glittered like gold or silver ; not a straw was out of place, and each horse had his name duly emblazoned above his stall. Even the stable cats were plump and glossy. A kitten sprano on to Sholto's shoulder as he entered, and rubbed against his cheek ; he allowed it to stay there ; he was only domineering when resisted, and every hunter or carriage horse turned a friendly head as he lounged past them THE DESPOT OF THORNHA UGH. 15 along the spotless red tiles.