Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 2).djvu/246

 saw the picture and recognised the portraits, and their shouts of laughter brought in the sergeant.

He stood petrified for a moment, and then burst out, "Divil fly away wid me, and who's been damaging the barrack walls like that? Fetch the whitewash and clear it out before the colonel and his ladies come."

But the sergeant was too late, for the colonel and his visitors at that moment entered the room, and the sergeant called out Tention."

"That's capital," said one of the ladies, going straight to the fireplace to get a close view of the sketch. "Now that's what I've always been advocating—making the barrack-rooms as bright and cheerful as possible." All the visitors admired the picture, and the colonel's wife thought the ornamental dado a decided improvement.

The colonel said he supposed that it was Dapper's doing, but who gave permission to do it? Dick came forward rather sheepishly, and said he thought it would do for the Christmas decorations. "Long time to Christmas," said the colonel, "but let it stay till then. You must not do things—even good things—in the army without permission.

Dick touched up and improved his picture from time to time, and every visitor to the barracks was taken to see it. The frilled dado, however, did not go down with the authorities, and Dick and I had to paint it out and make it match the other rooms.

Sunday was always a delightful day, for after church parade we were comparatively free.

It struck me that some better plan might be adopted for soldiers seeing friends who call at the barracks. Instead of getting leave to go out, and then adjourning with their friends to the nearest publichouse, there should be a spacious waiting-room near the entrance gates.

There was great excitement when it became known that the Royal Wessex Regiment was ordered off for service abroad at very short notice, and word was passed round that every man should make his will and declare his proper name before leaving England.

Dick and I were in great demand as will-makers, but most of the men copied out one of the simple forms set out in the little pocket-book which is given to every recruit, and sent it off to some relative with a goodbye letter.

The news that our regiment was going abroad woke up the friends of some of the men, who were bought off at, I think, £18 each, but Dick and I go with the regiment.