Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 2).djvu/240

 Dick quite disconcerted the barber by saying: "Look here, Snipper, don't cut me as close as you have my chum, for I've got a scar I don't want seen."

"Oh, sir," said the barber, "soldiers' scars are honourable. Don't hide one if you have it."

"But I didn't get it in a war," said Dick.

"Who's to know that?" said the barber. "Ah, I see it. Lots of our men would give a penny a day for a scar like that; it's a beauty."

Dick Dapper roared with laughter, and caused the barber to stick the point of his scissors in his head.

"Hold hard!" said Dick. "I don't want you to make any more scars; one's plenty for me."

Dick said he did not want any of the patent pomatum recommended by the barber, but was told that he could not wear his cap properly without it, and the "love lock" must be greased.

We were glad to get to bed, and delighted to find that, after the lights were out, there was none of the larking and tale-telling that Dapper and I were looking forward to. One man began singing a loose song, but the sergeant shut him up sharp with a threat of the guard-room.

The bugles woke us up at five, and we turned out sharp. It was a glorious morning, and we followed the example of our comrades by putting on "fatigue" dress. We packed up our beds like the rest, and each one swept beneath and around his bed into the middle gangway of the room, and the orderly finished the sweeping. At a quarter to six we paraded for the "morning roll call," which took