Please don't," said Bayley, pink with suppressed mirth. "It was
all my fault. I must tell old Verschoyle this. I've surprised his plan out
of the mouths of babes and sucklings."
"What plan?"
"Old Vee has taken the battalion up to the top of the common, and he told
me he meant to charge down through the kids, but they're on to him
already. He'll be scuppered. The Guard will be scuppered!"
Here Blue Breeches, overcome by the reproof of his fellows, began to weep.
"I didn't tell," he roared. "My big bruvver _he_ knew when he saw them go
up the road..."
"Never mind! Never mind, old man," said Bayley soothingly. "I'm not
fighting to-day. It's all right."
He rightened it yet further with sixpence, and left that band loudly at
feud over the spoil.
"Oh, Vee! Vee the strategist," he chuckled. "We'll pull Vee's leg
to-night."
Our freckled friend of the barriers doubled up behind us.
"So you know that my battalion is charging down the ground," Bayley
demanded.
"Not for certain, Sir, but we're preparin' for the worst," he answered
with a cheerful grin. "They allow the Schools a little blank ammunition
after we've passed the third standard; and we nearly always bring it on to
the ground of Saturdays."
"The deuce you do! Why?"
"On account of these amateur Volunteer corps, Sir. They're always
experimentin' upon us, Sir, comin' over from their ground an' developin'
attacks on our flanks.
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