Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 2.djvu/249

 reasoning, found it very difficult to brook the brutality of his drilling master, who seemed to have a particular predilection for him, plying his back so frequently and so severely, that the new soldier was soon rendered too sensible of his instructor's partiality for him.

Wolf exerted himself to the utmost of his ability to please the rigorous corporal, and to shelter himself against the frequent heavy showers of blows and cuffs, but not being able to attain his end, resentment and hatred began at length to rankle in his heart, his whole stock of patience was exhausted, and he began to have frequent recourse to drinking, in order to dispel the gloominess of mind which haunted him incessantly, and to drown the recollection of his forlorn situation.

One day as he came half intoxicated to the parade, he acquitted himself so badly of his task, that his military mentor plied his back most unmercifully. Wolf's anger was roused, his blood was boiling, and he called his chastiser a savage beast, a blood-hound, and many