Page:Rudyard Kipling's verse - Inclusive Edition 1885-1918.djvu/535

 INCLUSIVE EDITION, 1885-1918 517

'T was after four in the mornin';

We 'ad to stop the fun, An' we sent 'im 'ome on a bullock-cart,

With 'is belt an' stock undone; But we sluiced 'im down an' we washed 'im out,

An' a first-class job we made, When we saved 'im, smart as a bombardier,

For six o'clock parade.

// 'ad been "Rounds! What Rounds? Oh y shove 'im

straight again !

'E's usin' 'is sword for a bicycle, but, sentry, shut your eye," An it was "Pass! All's well!" E's called me "Darlin

Jane ! 'E'll need, " etc.

The drill was long an' 'eavy,

The sky was 'ot an' blue. An' 'is eye was wild an' 'is 'air was wet,

But 'is sergeant pulled 'im through. Our men was good old trusties

They'd done it on their 'ead; But you ought to 'ave 'card 'em markin' time

To 'ide the things 'e said!

For it was "Right flank wheel!" for "'Alt, an stand at

ease !" An' "Left extend !" for "Centre close!" marker, shut

your eye !

An it was, " 'Ere, sir, 'ere ! before the Colonel sees !" So he needed affidavits pretty badly by-an'-by.

There was two-an'-thirty sergeants,

There was corp'rals forty-one, There was just nine 'undred rank an' file

To swear to a touch o' sun.