"I thought you'd be here," he said, as Matthews vacated the other chair
and sat on the bed. "Well, has Matthews told you all about it? How did our
Trials go, Matthews?"
"Forty names in the Hat, Sir, at the finish. They'll make a fairish lot.
Their gun-tricks weren't bad; but D company has taken the best horsemen--
as usual."
"Oh, I'll attend to that on 'heef.' Give me a man who can handle company-
guns and I'll engage to make him a horse-master. D company will end by
thinkin' 'emselves Captain Pigeon's private cavalry some day."
I had never heard a private and a captain talking after this fashion, and
my face must have betrayed my astonishment, for Burgard said:
"These are not our parade manners. In our rooms, as we say in the Guard,
all men are men. Outside we are officers and men."
"I begin to see," I stammered. "Matthews was telling me that sergeants
handled half-companies and rose from the ranks--and I don't see that there
are any lieutenants--and your companies appear to be two hundred and fifty
strong. It's a shade confusing to the layman."
Burgard leaned forward didactically. "The Regulations lay down that every
man's capacity for command must be tested to the uttermost. We construe
that very literally when we're on the 'heef.' F'r instance, any man can
apply to take the command next above him, and if a man's too shy to ask,
his company officer must see that he gets his chance.
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