Cautiouslyashehadbeeninstructed,tenderlyandwithmuchbeer,Mulcahyopenedhisprojectstosuchashedeemedfittesttolisten。Andthesewere,oneandall,ofthatquaint,crooked,sweet,profoundlyirresponsibleandprofoundlylovableracethatfightlikefiends,arguelikechildren,reasonlikewomen,obeylikemen,andjestliketheirowngoblinsoftheraththroughrebellion,loyalty,want,woe,orwar。Theundergroundworkofaconspiracyisalwaysdullandverymuchthesametheworldover。
  Attheendofsixmonths-theseedalwaysfallingongoodground-Mulcahyspokealmostexplicitly,hintingdarklyintheapprovedfashionatdreadpowersbehindhim,andadvisingnothingmorenorlessthanmutiny。Weretheynotdogs,evillytreated?hadtheynotalltheirownandtheirnationalrevengestosatisfy?Whointhesedayswoulddoaughttoninehundredmeninrebellion?Who,again,couldstaythemiftheybrokeforthesea,lickingupontheirwayotherregimentsonlytooanxioustojoin?Andafterwards……
  herefollowedwindypromisesofgoldandpreferment,officeandhonour,everdeartoacertaintypeofIrishman。
  Ashefinishedhisspeech,intheduskofatwilight,tohischosenassociates,therewasasoundofarapidlyunslungbeltbehindhim。ThearmofoneDanGradyflewoutinthegloomandarrestedsomething。ThensaidDan-
  "Mulcahy,you’reagreatman,an’youdocredittowhoeversentyou。Walkaboutabitwhilewethinkofit。"Mulcahydepartedelate。Heknewhiswordswouldsinkdeep。
  "Whythetriple-dashedasterisksdidyenotletmebelthim’?"
  gruntedavoice。
  "BecauseI’mnotafat-headedfool。Boys,’tiswhathe’sbeendrivingatthesesixmonths-oursuperiorcorp’rilwithhiseducationandhiscopiesoftheIrishpapersandhiseverlastingbeer。He’sbeensentforthepurpose,andthat’swherethemoneycomesfrom。Canyenotsee?Thatman’sagold-mine,whichHorseEganherewouldhavedestroyedwithabelt-buckle。ItwouldbethrowingawaythegiftsofProvidencenottofallinwithhislittleplans。Ofcoorsewe’llmut’nytillall’sdry。Shootthecolonelontheparade-ground,massacreethecompanyofficers,ransackthearsenal,andthen-Boys,didhetellyouwhatnext?
  Hetoldmetheothernightwhenhewasbeginningtotalkwild。
  Thenwe’retojoinwiththeniggers,andlookforhelpfromDhulipSinghandtheRussians!"
  "AndspoilthebestcampaignthateverwasthissideofHell!
  Danny,I’dhavelostthebeertoha’givenhimthebeltingherequires。"
  "Oh,lethimgothisawhile,man!He’sgotno-noconstructiveness,butthat’stheegg-meatofhisplan,andyoumustunderstandthatI’minwithit,an’soareyou。We’llwantoceansofbeertoconvinceus-firmamentsfull。We’llgivehimtalkforhismoney,andonebyonealltheboys’llcomeinandhe’llhaveanestofninehundredmutineerstosquatinan’givedrinkto。"
  "Whatmakesmekilling-madishiswantingustodowhattheniggersdidthirtyyearsgone。Thatan’hispig’scheekinsayingthatotherregimentswouldcomealong,"saidaKerryman。
  "That’snotsobadashintin’weshouldlooseoffonthecolonel。"
  "Colonelbesugared!I’dassoonasnotputashotthroughhishelmettoseehimjumpandclutchhisoldhorse’shead。ButMulcahytalkso’shootin’ourcomp’nyorf’cersaccidental。"
  "Hesaidthat,didhe?"saidHorseEgan。
  "Somethin’likethat,anyways。Can’tyefancyouldBarberBradywidabulletinhislungs,coughin’likeasickmonkey,an’
  sayin’,’Bhoys,Idonotmindyourgettin’dhrunk,butyoumusthouldyourliquorlikemen。Themanthatshotmeisdhrunk。I’llsuspendinvestigationsforsixhours,whileIgetthisbulletcutout,andthen-’"
  "’An’then,"continuedHorseEgan,forthepepperyMajor’speculiaritiesofspeechandmannerwereaswellknownashistannedface;"’an’then,yedissolute,half-baked,putty-facedscumo’Connemara,ifIfindamansomuchaslookin’confused,begad,I’llcoort-martialthewholecompany。Amanthatcan’tgetoverhisliquorinsixhoursisnotfittobelongtotheMavericks!’"
  Ashoutoflaughterborewitnesstothetruthofthesketch。
  "It’sprettytothinkof,"saidtheKerrymanslowly。"Mulcahywouldhaveusdoallthedevilmint,andgetclearhimself,someways。Hewudn’tbetakin’allthisfool’sthroubleinshpoilin’thereputationoftheregimint-"
  "Reputationofyourgrandmother’spig!"saidDan。
  "Well,an’hehadagoodreputationtu;soit’sallright。Mulcahymustseehiswaytoclearoutbehindhim,orhe’dnotha’comesofar,talkin’powersofdarkness。"
  "DidyouhearanythingofaregimentalcoortmartialamongtheBlackBoneens,thesedays?Halfacompanyof’emtookoneofthenewdraftan’hangedhimbyhisarmswithatent-ropefromathird-storyverandah。Theygavenoreasonforsodoin’,buthewashalfdead。I’mthinkingthattheBoneensareshort-sighted。ItwasafriendofMulcahy’s,oramaninthesametrade。They’dadealbetterha’takenhisbeer,"returnedDanreflectively。
  "Betterstillha’handedhimuptotheColonel,"saidHorseEgan,"onless-butsurethenewswudbealloverthecounthryan’givethereg’mentabadname。"
  "An’there’dbenorewardforthatman-hebutwentabouttalkin’,"saidtheKerrymanartlessly。
  "Youspeakbyyourbreed,"saidDan,withalaugh。"TherewasneveraKerrymanyetthatwudn’tsellhisbrotherforapipeo’
  tobaccoan’apatonthebackfromap’liceman。"
  "PraiseGodI’mnotabloomin’Orangeman,"wastheanswer。
  "No,norneverwillbe,"saidDan。"TheybreedmeninUlster。
  Wouldyouliketothrythetasteofone?"
  TheKerrymanlookedandlonged,butforbore。Theoddsofbattleweretoogreat。
  "Thenyou’llnotevengiveMulcahya-astrikeforhismoney,"
  saidthevoiceofHorseEgan,whoregardedwhathecalled"trouble"ofanykindasthepinnacleoffelicity。
  Dananswerednotatall,butcreptontip-toe,withlongstrides,tothemess-room,themenfollowing。Theroomwasempty。Inacorner,casedliketheKingofDahomey’sstateumbrella,stoodtheregimentalColours。DanliftedthemtenderlyandunrolledinthelightofthecandlestherecordoftheMavericks-tattered,worn,andhacked。Thewhitesatinwasdarkenedeverywherewithbigbrownstains,thegoldthreadsonthecrownedharpwerefrayedanddiscoloured,andtheRedBull,thetotemoftheMavericks,wascoffee-hued。Thestiff,embroideredfolds,whosepriceishumanlife,rustleddownslowly。TheMaverickskeeptheircolourslongandguardthemverysacredly。
  "Vittoria,Salamanca,Toulouse,Waterloo,Moodkee,Ferozshah,an’
  Sobraon-thatwasfoughtclosenextdoorhere,againsttheverybeggarshewantsustojoin。Inkerman,TheAlma,Sebastopol!’WhatarethoselittlebusinessescomparedtothecampaignsofGeneralMulcahy?TheMut’ny,thinko’that;theMut’nyan’somedirtylittlemattersinAfghanistan;an’forthatan’thesean’those"-
  Danpointedtothenamesofgloriousbattles-"thatYankeemanwiththepartin’inhishaircomesan’saysaseasyas’haveadrink’……HolyMoses,there’sthecaptain!"
  Butitwasthemess-sergeantwhocameinjustasthemenclatteredout,andfoundthecoloursuncased。
  FromthatdaydatedthemutinyoftheMavericks,tothejoyofMulcahyandtheprideofhismotherinNewYork-thegoodladywhosentthemoneyforthebeer。Never,sofaraswordswent,wassuchamutiny。Theconspirators,ledbyDanGradyandHorseEgan,pouredindaily。Theyweresoundmen,mentobetrusted,andtheyallwantedblood;butfirsttheymusthavebeer。TheycursedtheQueen,theymournedoverIreland,theysuggestedhideousplunderoftheIndiancountry-side,andthen,alas-someoftheyoungermenwouldgoforthandwallowonthegroundinspasmsofwickedlaughterThegeniusoftheIrishforconspiraciesisremarkable。
  Nonethelesstheywouldswearnooathsbutthoseoftheirownmaking,whichwererareandcurious,andtheywerealwaysatpainstoimpressMulcahywiththeriskstheyran。Naturallythefloodofbeerwroughtdemoralisation。ButMulcahyconfusedthecausesofthings,andwhenaverymuzzyMavericksmoteasergeantonthenoseorcalledhiscommandingofficerabald-headedoldlard-
  bladderandevenworsenames,hefanciedthatrebellionandnotliquorwasatthebottomoftheoutbreak。Othergentlemenwhohaveconcernedthemselvesinlargerconspiracieshavemadethesameerror。
  Thehotseason,inwhichtheyprotestednomancouldrebel,cametoanend,andMulcahysuggestedavisiblereturnforhisteachings。Astotheactualupshotofthemutinyhecarednothing。
  ItwouldbeenoughiftheEnglish,infatuatedlytrustingtotheintegrityoftheirarmy,shouldbestartledwithnewsofanIrishregimentrevoltingfrompoliticalconsiderations。Hispersistentdemandswouldhaveended,atDan’sinstigation,inaregimentalbeltingwhichinallprobabilitywouldhavekilledhimandcutoffthesupplyofbeer,hadnothebeensentonspecialdutysomefiftymilesawayfromtheCantonmenttocoolhisheelsinamudfortanddismountobsoleteartillery。ThenthecoloneloftheMavericks,readinghisnewspaperdiligently,andscentingFrontiertroublefromafar,postedtothearmyheadquartersandpledwiththeCommander-in-chiefforcertainprivileges,tobegrantedundercertaincontingencies,;whichcontingenciescameaboutonlyaweeklater,whentheannuallittlewarontheborderdevelopeditselfandthecolonelreturnedtocarrythegoodnewstotheMavericks。
  HeheldthepromiseoftheChiefforactiveservice,andthemenmustgetready。
  Ontheeveningofthesameday,Mulcahy,anunconsideredcorporal-yetgreatinconspiracy-returnedtocantonments,andheardsoundsofstrifeandhowlingsfromafaroff。ThemutinyhadbrokenoutandthebarracksoftheMaverickswereonewhite-washedpandemonium。Aprivatetearingthroughthebarrack-square,gaspedinhisear,"Service!Activeservice。It’saburnin’shame。"Ohjoy,theMaverickshadrisenontheeveofbattle!Theywouldnot-nobleandloyalsonsofIreland-servetheQueenlonger。Thenewswouldflashthroughthecountry-sideandovertoEngland,andhe-Mulcahy-thetrustedoftheThirdThree,hadbroughtaboutthecrash。Theprivatestoodinthemiddleofthesquareandcursedcolonel,regiment,officers,anddoctor,particularlythedoctor,byhisgods。Anorderlyofthenativecavalryregimentclatteredthroughthemobofsoldiers。Hewashalflifted,halfdraggedfromhishorse,beatenonthebackwithmightyhand-clapstillhiseyeswatered,andcalledallmannerofendearingnames。
  Yes,theMaverickshadfraternizedwiththenativetroops。WhothenwastheagentamongthelatterthathadblindlywroughtwithMulcahysowell?
  Anofficerslunk,almostran,fromthemesstoabarrack。Hewasmobbedbytheinfuriatedsoldiery,whoclosedroundbutdidnotkillhim,forhefoughthiswaytoshelter,flyingforthelife。
  Mulcahycouldhaveweptwithpurejoyandthankfulness。Theveryprisonersintheguard-roomwereshakingthebarsoftheircellsandhowlinglikewildbeasts,andfromeverybarrackpouredtheboomingasofabigwar-drum。
  Mulcahyhastenedtohisownbarrack。Hecouldhardlyhearhimselfspeak。Eightymenwerepoundingwithfistandheelthetablesandtrestles-eightymen,flushedwithmutiny,strippedtotheirshirtsleeves,theirknapsackshalf-packedforthemarchtothesea,madethetwo-inchboardsthunderagainastheychanted,toatunethatMulcahyknewwell,theSacredWarSongoftheMavericks-
  Listeninthenorth,myboys,there’stroubleonthewind;
  Trampo’Cossackhoovesinfront,graygreat-coatsbehind,TroubleontheFrontierofamostamazin’kind,Troubleonthewaterso’theOxus!
  Then,asthetablebrokeunderthefuriousaccompaniment-
  Hurrah!hurrah!it’snorthbywestwego;
  Hurrah!hurrah!thechancewewantedso;
  Let’emhearthechorusfromUmballatoMoscow,Aswegomarchin’totheKremling。
  "Motherofallthesaintsinblissandallthedevilsincinders,where’smyfinenewsockwidouttheheel?"howledHorseEgan,ransackingeverybody’svalisebuthisown。Hewasengagedinmakingupdeficienciesofkitpreparatorytoacampaign,andinthatworkhestealsbestwhostealslast。"Ah,Mulcahy,you’reingoodtime,"heshouted,"We’vegottheroute,andwe’reoffonThursdayforapic-nicwidtheLancersnextdoor。"
  Anambulanceorderlyappearedwithahugebasketfulloflintrolls,providedbytheforethoughtoftheQueenforsuchasmightneedthemlateron。HorseEganunrolledhisbandage,andflickeditunderMulcahy’snose,chanting-
  "Sheepskinan’bees’wax,thunder,pitch,andplaster,Themoreyoutrytopullitoff,themoreitsticksthefaster。
  AsIwasgoin’toNewOrleans-
  "Youknowtherestofit,myIrishAmerican-Jewboy。Bygad,yehavetofightfortheQueenintheinsideavafortnight,mydarlin’"
  Aroaroflaughterinterrupted。Mulcahylookedvacantlydowntheroom。Bidaboydefyhisfatherwhenthepantomime-cabisatthedoor,oragirldevelopawillofherownwhenhermotherisputtingthelasttouchestothefirstball-dress,butdonotaskanIrishregimenttoembarkuponmutinyontheeveofacampaign,whenithasfraternisedwiththenativeregimentthataccompaniesit,anddrivenitsofficersintoretirementwithtenthousandclamorousquestions,andtheprisonersdanceforjoy,andthesickmenstandintheopencallingdownallknowndiseasesontheheadofthedoctor,whohascertifiedthattheyare"medicallyunfitforactiveservice。"AteventheMavericksmighthavebeenmistakenformutineersbyonesounversedintheirnaturesasMulcahy。Atdawnagirls’schoolmighthavelearneddeportmentfromthem。Theyknewthattheircolonel’shandhadclosed,andthathewhobrokethatirondisciplinewouldnotgotothefront:nothingintheworldwillpersuadeoneofoursoldiers,whenheisorderedtothenorthonthesmallestofaffairs,thatheisnotimmediatelygoinggloriouslytoslayCossacksandcookhiskettlesinthepalaceoftheCzar。AfewoftheyoungermenmournedforMulcahy’sbeer,becausethecampaignwastobeconductedonstricttemperanceprinciples,butasDanandHorseEgansaidsternly,"We’vegotthebeer-manwithus。Heshalldrinknowonhisownhook。"
  Mulcahyhadnottakenintoaccountthepossibilityofbeingsentonactiveservice。Hehadmadeuphismindthathewouldnotgounderanycircumstances,butfortunewasagainsthim。
  "Sick-you?"saidthedoctor,whohadservedanunholyapprenticeshiptohistradeinTraleepoorhouses。"You’reonlyhome-sick,andwhatyoucallvaricoseveinscomefromover-eating。
  Alittlegentleexercisewillcurethat。"Andlater,"Mulcahy,myman,everybodyisallowedtoapplyforasick-certificateonce。Ifhetriesittwicewecallhimbyanuglyname。Gobacktoyourduty,andlet’shearnomoreofyourdiseases。"
  IamashamedtosaythatHorseEganenjoyedthestudyofMulcahy’ssoulinthosedays,andDantookanequalinterest。Togethertheywouldcommunicatetotheircorporalallthedarkloreofdeathwhichistheportionofthosewhohaveseenmendie。Eganhadthelargerexperience,butDanthefinerimagination。Mulcahyshiveredwhentheformerspokeoftheknifeasanintimateacquaintance,orthelatterdweltwithlovingparticularityonthefateofthosewho,woundedandhelpless,hadbeenoverlookedbytheambulances,andhadfallenintothehandsoftheAfghanwomen-folk。
  Mulcahyknewthatthemutiny,forthepresentatleast,wasdead;
  knew,too,thatachangehadcomeoverDan’susuallyrespectfulattitudetowardshim,andHorseEgan’slaughterandfrequentallusionstoabortiveconspiraciesemphasisedallthattheconspiratorhadguessed。Thehorriblefascinationofthedeath-
  stories,however,madehimseekthemen’ssociety。Helearnedmuchmorethanhehadbargainedfor;andinthismanner。Itwasonthelastnightbeforetheregimententrainedtothefront。Thebarrackswerestrippedofeverythingmovable,andthemenweretooexcitedtosleep。Thebarewallsgaveoutaheavyhospitalsmellofchlorideoflime。
  "Andwhat,"saidMulcahyinanawe-strickenwhisper,aftersomeconversationontheeternalsubject,"areyougoingtodotome,Dan?"Thismighthavebeenthelanguageofanableconspiratorconciliatingaweakspirit。
  "You’llsee,"saidDangrimly,turningoverinhiscot,"orI
  rathershudsayyou’llnotsee。"
  Thiswashardlythelanguageofaweakspirit。Mulcahyshookunderthebed-clothes。
  "Bceasywithhim,"putinEganfromthenextcot。"Hehasgothischansto’goin’clean。Listen,Mulcahy,allwewantisforthegoodsakeoftheregimentthatyoutakeyourdeathstandingup,asamanshud。There’sbeheapsan’heapsofenemy-plenshusheaps。
  Gotherean’doallyoucananddiedecent。You’lldiewithagoodnamethere。’Tisnotahardthingconsiderin’。"-
  AgainMulcahyshivered。
  "An’howcouldamanwishtodiebetterthanfightin’?"addedDanconsolingly。
  "AndifIwon’t?"saidthecorporalinadrywhisper。
  "There’llbeadaleofsmoke,"returnedDan,sittingupandtickingoffthesituationonhisfingers,"suretobe,an’thenoiseofthefirin’llbetremenjus,an’we’llberunningaboutupanddown,theregimentwill。Butwe,HorseandI-we’llstaybyyou,Mulcahy,andneverletyougo。Maybethere’llbeanaccident。"
  "It’splayingitlowonme。Letmego。Forpity’ssake,letmego。
  Ineverdidyouharm,and-andIstoodyouasmuchbeerasI
  could。Oh,don’tbehardonme,Dan!Youare-youwereinittoo。
  Youwon’tkillmeupthere,willyou?"
  "I’mnotthinkin’ofthetreason;thoughyoushudbegladanyhonestboysdrankwithyou。It’sfortheregiment。Wecan’thavetheshameo’youbringin’shameonus。Youwenttothedoctorquietasasickcattogetandstaybehindan’livewiththewomenatthedepot-youthatwantedustoruntotheseainwolf-packsliketherebelsnoneofyourblackblooddaredtobe!Butweknewaboutyourgoin’tothedoctor,forhetoldinmess,andit’sallovertheregiment。Bein’,asweare,yourbestfriends,wedidn’tallowanyonetomolestyouyet。Wewillseetoyouourselves。
  Fightwhichyouwill-usortheenemyyou’llneverlieinthatcotagain,andthere’smoregloryandmaybelesskicksfromfightin’theenemy。That’sfairspeakin’。"-
  "Andhetoldusbywordofmouthtogoandjoinwiththeniggers-
  you’veforgottenthat,Dan,"saidHorseEgan,tojustifysentence。
  "What’stheuseofplaguin’’theman?Oneshotpaysforall。Sleepyesound,Mulcahy。Butyouonderstand,doyenot?"
  Mulcahyforsomeweeksunderstoodverylittleofanythingatallsavethateverathiselbow,incamporatparade,stoodtwobigmenwithsoftvoicesadjuringhimtocommithari-karilestaworsethingshouldhappen-todieforthehonouroftheregimentindecencyamongthenearestknives。ButMulcahydreadeddeath。Herememberedcertainthingsthatpriestshadsaidinhisinfancy,andhismother-nottheoneatNewYork-startingfromhersleepwithshriekstoprayforahusband’ssoulintorment。Itiswelltobeofaculturedintelligence,butintimeoftroubletheweakhumanmindreturnstothecreeditsuckedinatthebreast,andifthatcreedbenotaprettyonetroublefollows。Also,thedeathhewouldhavetofacewouldbephysicallypainful。Mostconspiratorshavelargeimaginations。Mulcahycouldseehimself,ashelayontheearthinthenight,dyingbyvariouscauses。Theywereallhorrible;themotherinNewYorkwasveryfaraway,andtheRegiment,theenginethat,onceyoufallinitsgrip,movesyouforwardwhetheryouwillorwon’t,wasdailycomingclosertotheenemy!
  TheywerebroughttothefieldofMarzunKatai,andwiththeBlackBoneenstoaid,theyfoughtafightthathasneverbeensetdowninthenewspapers。Inresponse,manybelieve,totheferventprayersofFatherDennis,theenemynotonlyelectedtofightintheopen,butmadeabeautifulfight,asmanyweepingIrishmothersknewlater。Theygatheredbehindwallsorflickeredacrosstheopeninshoutingmasses,andwerepot-valiantinartillery。Itwasexpedienttoholdalargereserveandwaitforthepsychologicalmomentthatwasbeingpreparedbytheshriekingshrapnel。ThereforetheMaverickslaydowninopenorderonthebrowofahilltowatchtheplaytilltheircallshouldcome。
  FatherDennis,whosedutywasintherear,tosmooththetroubleofthewounded,hadnaturallymanagedtomakehiswaytotheforemostofhisboys,andlaylikeablackporpoise,atlengthonthegrass。TohimcrawledMulcahy,ashen-gray,demandingabsolution。
  "’Waittillyou’reshot,"saidFatherDennissweetly。"There’satimeforeverything。"
  DanGradychuckledasheblewforthefiftiethtimeintothebreechofhisspecklessrifle。Mulcahygroanedandburiedhisheadinhisarmstillastrayshotspokelikeasnipeimmediatelyabovehishead,andageneralheaveandtremourrippledtheline。Othershotsfollowedandafewtookeffect,asashriekoragruntattested。Theofficers,whohadbeenlyingdownwiththemen,roseandbegantowalksteadilyupanddownthefrontoftheircompanies。
  Thismanoeuvre,executed,notforpublication,butasaguaranteeofgoodfaith,tosoothemen,demandsnerve。Youmustnothurry,youmustnotlooknervous,thoughyouknowthatyouareamarkforeveryriflewithinextremerange,andaboveallifyouaresmittenyoumustmakeaslittlenoiseaspossibleandrollinwardsthroughthefiles。Itisatthishour,whenthebreezebringsthefirstsaltwhiffofthepowdertonosesrathercoldatthetip,andtheeyecanquietlytakeintheappearanceofeachredcasualty,thatthestrainonthenervesisstrongest。Scotchregimentscanendureforhalfadayandabatenowhitoftheirzealattheend;Englishregimentssometimessulkunderpunishment,whiletheIrish,liketheFrench,areapttorunforwardbyonesandtwos,whichisjustasbadasrunningback。Thetrulywisecommandantofhighly-strungtroopsallowsthem,inseasonsofwaiting,tohearthesoundoftheirownvoicesupliftedinsong。ThereisalegendofanEnglishregimentthatlaybyitsarmsunderfirechaunting"SamHall,"tothehorrorofitsnewlyappointedandpiouscolonel。TheBlackBoneens,whoweresufferingmorethantheMavericks,onahillhalfamileaway,beganpresentlytoexplaintoallwhocaredtolisten-
  We’llsoundthejubilee,fromthecentretothesea,AndIrelandshallbefree,saystheShan-vanVogh。
  "Sing,boys,"saidFatherDennissoftly。"ItlooksasifwecaredfortheirAfghanpeas。"
  DanGradyraisedhimselftohiskneesandopenedhismouthinasongimpartedtohim,astomostofhiscomrades,inthestrictestconfidencebyMulcahy-thatMulcahythenlyinglimpandfaintingonthegrass,thechillfearofdeathuponhim。
  Companyaftercompanycaughtupthewordswhich,theI。A。A。say,aretoheraldthegeneralrisingofErin,andtobreathewhich,excepttothosedulyappointedtohear,isdeath。Whereforetheyareprintedinthisplace。
  TheSaxoninHeaven’sjustbalanceisweighed,HisdoomlikeBelshazzar’sindeathhasbeencast,AndthehandofthevengershallneverbestayedTillhisrace,faith,andspeechareadreamofthepast。
  Theywereheart-fillinglinesandtheyranwithaswirl;theI。A。
  A。arebetterservedbytheirpensthantheirpetards。DanclappedMulcahymerrilyontheback,askinghimtosingup。Theofficerslaydownagain。Therewasnoneedtowalkanymore。Theirmenweresoothingthemselvesthunderously,thus-
  St。MaryinHeavenhaswrittenthevowThatthelandshallnotresttillthehereticblood,Fromthebabeatthebreasttothehandattheplough,HasrolledtotheoceanlikeShannoninflood!
  "I’llspeaktoyouafterall’sover,"saidFatherDennisauthoritativelyinDan’sear。"What’stheuseofconfessingtomewhenyoudothisfoolishness?Dan,you’vebeenplayingwithfire!
  I’lllayyoumorepenanceinaweekthan-"
  "ComealongtoPurgatorywithus,Fatherdear。TheBoneensareonthemove;they’llletusgonow!"
  Theregimentrosetotheblastofthebugleasoneman;butonemantherewaswhorosemoreswiftlythanalltheothers,forhalfaninchofbayonetwasinthefleshypartofhisleg。
  "You’vegottodoit,"saidDangrimly。"Doitdecent,anyhow;"
  andtheroaroftherushdrownedhiswords,fortherearcompaniesthrustforwardthefirst,stillsingingastheyswungdowntheslope-
  FromthechildatthebreasttothehandattheploughShallrolltotheoceanlikeShannoninflood!
  TheyshouldhavesungitinthefaceofEngland,notoftheAfghans,whomitimpressedasmuchasdidthewildIrishyell。
  "Theycamedownsinging,"saidtheunofficialreportoftheenemy,bornefromvillagetovillagethenextday。"Theycontinuedtosing,anditwaswrittenthatourmencouldnotabidewhentheycame。Itisbelievedthattherewasmagicintheaforesaidsong。"
  DanandHorseEgankeptthemselvesintheneighbourhoodofMulcahy。Twicethemanwouldhaveboltedbackintheconfusion。
  Twicehewasheaved,kicked,andshoulderedbackagainintotheunpaintableinfernoofahotlycontestedcharge。
  Attheend,thepanicexcessofhisfeardrovehimintomadnessbeyondallhumancourage。Hiseyesstaringatnothing,hismouthopenandfrothing,andbreathingasoneinacoldbath,hewentforwarddemented,whileDantoiledafterhim。Thechargecheckedatahighmudwall。ItwasMulcahywhoscrambleduptoothandnailandhurleddownamongthebayonetstheamazedAfghanwhobarredhisway。ItwasMulcahy,keepingtothestraightlineoftherabiddog,wholedacollectionofardentsoulsatanewlyunmaskedbatteryandflunghimselfonthemuzzleofagunashiscompanionsdancedamongthegunners。ItwasMulcahywhoranwildlyonfromthatbatteryintotheopenplain,wheretheenemywereretiringinsullengroups。Hishandswereempty,hehadlosthelmetandbelt,andhewasbleedingfromawoundintheneck。DanandHorseEgan,pantinganddistressed,hadthrownthemselvesdownonthegroundbythecapturedguns,whentheynoticedMulcahy’scharge。
  "Mad,"saidHorseEgancritically。"Madwithfear!He’sgoingstraighttohisdeath,an’shouting’snouse。"
  "Lethimgo。Watchnow!Ifwefirewe’llhithimmaybe。"
  ThelastofahurryingcrowdofAfghansturnedatthenoiseofshodfeetbehindhim,andshiftedhisknifereadytohand。This,hesaw,wasnotimetotakeprisoners。Mulcahytoreon,sobbing;
  thestraight-heldbladewenthomethroughthedefencelessbreast,andthebodypitchedforwardalmostbeforeashotfromDan’sriflebroughtdowntheslayerandstillfurtherhurriedtheAfghanretreat。ThetwoIrishmenwentouttobringintheirdead。
  "Hewasgiventhepoint,andthatwasaneasydeath,"saidHorseEgan,viewingthecorpse。"Butwouldyouha’shothim,Danny,ifhehadlived?"
  "Hedidn’tlive,sothere’snosayin’。ButIdoubtIwudhavebekazeofthefunhegaveus-letalonethebeer。Hikeuphislegs,Horse,andwe’llbringhimin。Perhaps’tisbetterthisway。"
  Theyborethepoorlimpbodytothemassoftheregiment,lollingopen-mouthedontheirrifles;andtherewasageneralsniggerwhenoneoftheyoungersubalternssaid,"Thatwasagoodman!"
  "Phew,"saidHorseEgan,whenaburial-partyhadtakenovertheburden。"I’mpowerfuldhry,andthisremindsmethere’llbenomorebeeratall。"
  "Fwhynot?"saidDan,withatwinkleinhiseyeashestretchedhimselfforrest。"Arewenotconspirin’allwecan,an’whileweconspirearewenotentitledtofreedhrinks?SurehisouldmotherinNewYorkwouldnotletherson’scomradesperishofdrouth-ifshecanbereachedattheendofaletter。"
  "You’reajanius,"saidHorseEgan。"0’coorseshewillnot。I
  wishthiscroolwarwasover,an’we’dgetbacktocanteen。Faith,theCommander-in-chiefoughttobehangedinhisownlittlesword-
  beltformakin’usworkonwather。"
  TheMavericksweregenerallyofHorseEgan’sopinion。Sotheymadehastetogettheirworkdoneassoonaspossible,andtheirindustrywasrewardedbyunexpectedpeace。"WecanfightthesonsofAdam,"saidthetribesmen,"butwecannotfightthesonsofEblis,andthisregimentneverstaysstillinoneplace。Letusthereforecomein。"Theycamein,and"thisregiment"withdrewtoconspireundertheleadershipofDanGrady。
  Excellentasasubordinate,Danfailedaltogetherasachief-in-
  command-possiblybecausehewastoomuchswayedbytheadviceoftheonlymanintheregimentwhocouldmanufacturemorethanonekindofhandwriting。ThesamemailthatboretoMulcahy’smotherinNewYorkaletterfromthecoloneltellingherhowvaliantlyhersonhadfoughtfortheQueen,andhowassuredlyhewouldhavebeenrecommendedfortheVictoriaCrosshadhesurvived,carriedacommunicationsigned,Igrievetosay,bythatsamecolonelandalltheofficersoftheregiment,explainingtheirwillingnesstodo"anythingwhichiscontrarytotheregulationsandallkindsofrevolutions"ifonlyalittlemoneycouldbeforwardedtocoverincidentalexpenses。DanielGrady,Esquire,wouldreceivefunds,viceMulcahy,who"wasunwellatthispresenttimeofwriting。"
  BothletterswereforwardedfromNewYorktoTehamaStreet,SanFrancisco,withmarginalcommentsasbriefastheywerebitter。
  TheThirdThreereadandlookedateachother。ThentheSecondConspirator-hewhobelievedin"joininghandswiththepracticalbranches"-begantolaugh,andonrecoveringhisgravitysaid,"Gentlemen,Iconsiderthiswillbealessontous。We’releftagain。ThosecursedIrishhaveletusdown。Iknewtheywould,but"-herehelaughedafresh-"I’dgiveconsiderabletoknowwhatwasatthebackofitall。"
  HiscuriositywouldhavebeensatisfiedhadheseenDanGrady,discreditedregimentalconspirator,tryingtoexplaintohisthirstycomradesinIndiathenon-arrivaloffundsfromNewYork。
  THEMANWHOWAS
  TheEarthgaveupherdeadthattide,Intoourcamphecame,Andsaidhissay,andwenthisway,Andleftourheartsaflame。
  Keeptally-onthegun-buttscoreThevengeancewemusttake,WhenGodshallbringfullreckoning,Forourdeadcomrade’ssake。
  Ballad。
  LetitbeclearlyunderstoodthattheRussianisadelightfulpersontillhetucksinhisshirt。AsanOrientalheischarming。
  Itisonlywhenheinsistsuponbeingtreatedasthemosteasterlyofwesternpeoplesinsteadofthemostwesterlyofeasternsthathebecomesaracialanomalyextremelydifficulttohandle。Thehostneverknowswhichsideofhisnatureisgoingtoturnupnext。
  DirkovitchwasaRussian-aRussianoftheRussians-whoappearedtogethisbreadbyservingtheCzarasanofficerinaCossackregiment,andcorrespondingforaRussiannewspaperwithanamethatwasnevertwicealike。HewasahandsomeyoungOriental,fondofwanderingthroughunexploredportionsoftheearth,andhearrivedinIndiafromnowhereinparticular。AtleastnolivingmancouldascertainwhetheritwasbywayofBalkh,Badakshan,Chitral,Beluchistan,orNepaul,oranywhereelse。TheIndianGovernment,beinginanunusuallyaffablemood,gaveordersthathewastobecivillytreatedandshowneverythingthatwastobeseen。Sohedrifted,talkingbadEnglishandworseFrench,fromonecitytoanother,tillheforegatheredwithHerMajesty’sWhiteHussarsinthecityofPeshawur,whichstandsatthemouthofthatnarrowswordcutinthehillsthatmencalltheKhyberPass。Hewasundoubtedlyanofficer,andhewasdecoratedafterthemanneroftheRussianswithlittleenamelledcrosses,andhecouldtalk,and(thoughthishasnothingtodowithhismerits)hehadbeengivenupasahopelesstask,orcask,bytheBlackTyrone,whoindividuallyandcollectively,withhotwhiskeyandhoney,mulledbrandy,andmixedspiritsofeverykind,hadstriveninallhospitalitytomakehimdrunk。AndwhentheBlackTyrone,whoareexclusivelyIrish,failtodisturbthepeaceofheadofaforeigner-thatforeigneriscertaintobeasuperiorman。
  TheWhiteHussarswereasconscientiousinchoosingtheirwineasinchargingtheenemy。Allthattheypossessed,includingsomewondrousbrandy,wasplacedattheabsolutedispositionofDirkovitch,andheenjoyedhimselfhugely-evenmorethanamongtheBlackTyrones。
  ButheremaineddistressinglyEuropeanthroughitall。TheWhiteHussarswere"Mydeartruefriends,""Fellow-soldiersglorious,"
  and"Brothersinseparable。"HewouldunburdenhimselfbythehouronthegloriousfuturethatawaitedthecombinedarmsofEnglandandRussiawhentheirheartsandtheirterritoriesshouldrunsidebyside,andthegreatmissionofcivilisingAsiashouldbegin。
  Thatwasunsatisfactory,becauseAsiaisnotgoingtobecivilisedafterthemethodsoftheWest。ThereistoomuchAsiaandsheistooold。Youcannotreformaladyofmanylovers,andAsiahasbeeninsatiableinherflirtationsaforetime。ShewillneverattendSunday-schoolorlearntovotesavewithswordsfortickets。
  Dirkovitchknewthisaswellasanyoneelse,butitsuitedhimtotalkspecial-correspondentlyandtomakehimselfasgenialashecould。Nowandthenhevolunteeredalittle,averylittle,informationabouthisownsotniaofCossacks,leftapparentlytolookafterthemselvessomewhereatthebackofbeyond。HehaddoneroughworkinCentralAsia,andhadseenrathermorehelp-yourselffightingthanmostmenofhisyears。Buthewascarefulnevertobetrayhissuperiority,andmorethancarefultopraiseonalloccasionstheappearance,drill,uniform,andorganisationofHerMajesty’sWhiteHussars。Andindeedtheywerearegimenttobeadmired。WhenLadyDurgan,widowofthelateSirJohnDurgan,arrivedintheirstation,andafterashorttimehadbeenproposedtobyeverysinglemanatmess,sheputthepublicsentimentveryneatlywhensheexplainedthattheywereallsonicethatunlessshecouldmarrythemall,includingthecolonelandsomemajorsalreadymarried,shewasnotgoingtocontentherselfwithonehussar。Whereforesheweddedalittlemaninarifleregiment,beingbynaturecontradictious;andtheWhiteHussarsweregoingtowearcrapeontheirarms,butcompromisedbyattendingtheweddinginfullforce,andliningtheaislewithunutterablereproach。Shehadjiltedthemall-fromBasset-HolmertheseniorcaptaintolittleMildredthejuniorsubaltern,whocouldhavegivenherfourthousandayearandatitle。
  TheonlypersonswhodidnotsharethegeneralregardfortheWhiteHussarswereafewthousandgentlemenofJewishextractionwholivedacrosstheborder,andansweredtothenameofPathan。
  Theyhadoncemettheregimentofficiallyandforsomethinglessthantwentyminutes,buttheinterview,whichwascomplicatedwithmanycasualties,hadfilledthemwithprejudice。TheyevencalledtheWhiteHussarschildrenofthedevilandsonsofpersonswhomitwouldbeperfectlyimpossibletomeetindecentsociety。Yettheywerenotabovemakingtheiraversionfilltheirmoney-belts。
  Theregimentpossessedcarbines-beautifulMartini-Henrycarbinesthatwouldlobabulletintoanenemy’scampatonethousandyards,andwereevenhandierthanthelongrifle。Thereforetheywerecovetedallalongtheborder,andsincedemandinevitablybreedssupply,theyweresuppliedattheriskoflifeandlimbforexactlytheirweightincoinedsilver-sevenandonehalfpounds’
  weightofrupees,orsixteenpoundssterlingreckoningtherupeeatpar。Theywerestolenatnightbysnaky-hairedthieveswhocrawledontheirstomachsunderthenoseofthesentries;theydisappearedmysteriouslyfromlockedarm-racks,andinthehotweather,whenallthebarrackdoorsandwindowswereopen,theyvanishedlikepuffsoftheirownsmoke。Theborderpeopledesiredthemforfamilyvendettasandcontingencies。ButinthelongcoldnightsofthenorthernIndianwintertheywerestolenmostextensively。Thetrafficofmurderwasliveliestamongthehillsatthatseason,andpricesruledhigh。Theregimentalguardswerefirstdoubledandthentrebled。Atrooperdoesnotmuchcareifhelosesaweapon-Governmentmustmakeitgood-buthedeeplyresentsthelossofhissleep。Theregimentgrewveryangry,andonerifle-thiefbearsthevisiblemarksoftheirangeruponhimtothishour。Thatincidentstoppedtheburglariesforatime,andtheguardswerereducedaccordingly,andtheregimentdevoteditselftopolowithunexpectedresults;foritbeatbytwogoalstoonethatveryterriblepolocorpstheLushkarLightHorse,thoughthelatterhadfourponiesapieceforashorthour’sfight,aswellasanativeofficerwhoplayedlikealambentflameacrosstheground。
  Theygaveadinnertocelebratetheevent。TheLushkarteamcame,andDirkovitchcame,inthefullestfulluniformofaCossackofficer,whichisasfullasadressing-gown,andwasintroducedtotheLushkars,andopenedhiseyesasheregarded。TheywerelightermenthantheHussars,andtheycarriedthemselveswiththeswingthatisthepeculiarrightofthePunjabFrontierForceandallIrregularHorse。LikeeverythingelseintheServiceithastobelearnt,but,unlikemanythings,itisneverforgotten,andremainsonthebodytilldeath。
  Thegreatbeam-roofedmess-roomoftheWhiteHussarswasasighttoberemembered。Allthemessplatewasoutonthelongtable-
  thesametablethathadservedupthebodiesoffiveofficersafteraforgottenfightlongandlongago-thedingy,batteredstandardsfacedthedoorofentrance,clumpsofwinter-roseslaybetweenthesilvercandlesticks,andtheportraitsofeminentofficersdeceasedlookeddownontheirsuccessorsfrombetweentheheadsofsambhur,nilghai,markhor,and,prideofallthemess,twogrinningsnow-leopardsthathadcostBasset-Holmerfourmonths’leavethathemighthavespentinEngland,insteadofontheroadtoThibetandthedailyriskofhislifebyledge,snow-
  slide,andgrassyslope。
  Theservantsinspotlesswhitemuslinandthecrestoftheirregimentsonthebrowoftheirturbanswaitedbehindtheirmasters,whowerecladinthescarletandgoldoftheWhiteHussars,andthecreamandsilveroftheLushkarLightHorse。
  Dirkovitch’sdullgreenuniformwastheonlydarkspotattheboard,buthisbigonyxeyesmadeupforit。HewasfraternisingeffusivelywiththecaptainoftheLushkarteam,whowaswonderinghowmanyofDirkovitch’sCossackshisowndarkwirydown-
  countrymencouldaccountforinafaircharge。Butonedoesnotspeakofthesethingsopenly。
  Thetalkrosehigherandhigher,andtheregimentalbandplayedbetweenthecourses,asistheimmemorialcustom,tillalltonguesceasedforamomentwiththeremovalofthedinner-slipsandthefirsttoastofobligation,whenanofficerrisingsaid,"Mr。Vice,theQueen,"andlittleMildredfromthebottomofthetableanswered,"TheQueen,Godblessher,"andthebigspursclankedasthebigmenheavedthemselvesupanddranktheQueenuponwhosepaytheywerefalselysupposedtosettletheirmess-bills。ThatSacramentoftheMessnevergrowsold,andneverceasestobringalumpintothethroatofthelistenerwhereverhebebyseaorbyland。Dirkovitchrosewithhis"brothersglorious,"buthecouldnotunderstand。Noonebutanofficercantellwhatthetoastmeans;andthebulkhavemoresentimentthancomprehension。
  ImmediatelyafterthelittlesilencethatfollowsontheceremonythereenteredthenativeofficerwhohadplayedfortheLushkarteam。Hecouldnot,ofcourse,eatwiththemess,buthecameinatdessert,allsixfeetofhim,withtheblueandsilverturbanatop,andthebigblackbootsbelow。ThemessrosejoyouslyashethrustforwardthehiltofhissabreintokenoffealtyforthecoloneloftheWhiteHussarstotouch,anddroppedintoavacantchairamidshoutsof:"Rungho,HiraSingh!"(whichbeingtranslatedmeans"Goinandwin")。"DidIwhackyouovertheknee,oldman?""RessaidarSahib,whatthedevilmadeyouplaythatkickingpigofaponyinthelasttenminutes?""Shabash,RessaidarSahib!"Thenthevoiceofthecolonel,"ThehealthofRessaidarHiraSingh!"
  AftertheshoutinghaddiedawayHiraSinghrosetoreply,forhewasthecadetofaroyalhouse,thesonofaking’sson,andknewwhatwasdueontheseoccasions。Thushespokeinthevernacular:-
  "ColonelSahibandofficersofthisregiment。Muchhonourhaveyoudoneme。ThiswillIremember。Wecamedownfromafartoplayyou。Butwewerebeaten。"("Nofaultofyours,RessaidarSahib。
  Playedonourownground,y’know。Yourponieswerecrampedfromtherailway。Don’tapologise!")"Thereforeperhapswewillcomeagainifitbesoordained。"("Hear!Hear!Hear,indeed!Bravo!
  Hsh!")"Thenwewillplayyouafresh"("Happytomeetyou。")"tillthereareleftnofeetuponourponies。Thusfarforsport。"Hedroppedonehandonhissword-hiltandhiseyewanderedtoDirkovitchlollingbackinhischair。"ButifbythewillofGodtherearisesanyothergamewhichisnotthepologame,thenbeassured,ColonelSahibandofficers,thatwewillplayitoutsidebyside,thoughthey,"againhiseyesoughtDirkovitch,"thoughthey,Isay,havefiftyponiestoouronehorse。"Andwithadeep-
  mouthedRungho!thatsoundedlikeamusket-buttonflagstoneshesatdownamidleapingglasses。
  Dirkovitch,whohaddevotedhimselfsteadilytothebrandy-theterriblebrandyaforementioned-didnotunderstand,nordidtheexpurgatedtranslationsofferedtohimatallconveythepoint。
  DecidedlyHiraSingh’swasthespeechoftheevening,andtheclamourmighthavecontinuedtothedawnhaditnotbeenbrokenbythenoiseofashotwithoutthatsenteverymanfeelingathisdefenselessleftside。Thentherewasascuffleandayellofpain。
  "Carbine-stealingagain!"saidtheadjutant,calmlysinkingbackinhischair。"Thiscomesofreducingtheguards。Ihopethesentrieshavekilledhim。"
  Thefeetofarmedmenpoundedontheverandahflags,anditwasasthoughsomethingwasbeingdragged。
  "Whydon’ttheyputhiminthecellstillthemorning?"saidthecoloneltestily。"Seeifthey’vedamagedhim,sergeant。"
  Themesssergeantfledoutintothedarknessandreturnedwithtwotroopersandacorporal,allverymuchperplexed。
  "Caughtamanstealin’carbines,sir,"saidthecorporal。
  "Leastways’ewascrawlin’towardsthebarricks,sir,pastthemainroadsentries,an’thesentry’esez,sir-"
  Thelimpheapofragsupheldbythethreemengroaned。NeverwasseensodestituteanddemoralisedanAfghan。Hewasturbanless,shoeless,cakedwithdirt,andallbutdeadwithroughhandling。
  HiraSinghstartedslightlyatthesoundoftheman’spain。
  Dirkovitchtookanotherglassofbrandy。
  "Whatdoesthesentrysay?"saidthecolonel。
  "Sez’espeaksEnglish,sir,"saidthecorporal。
  "Soyoubroughthimintomessinsteadofhandinghimovertothesergeant!IfhespokealltheTonguesofthePentecostyou’venobusiness-"
  Againthebundlegroanedandmuttered。LittleMildredhadrisenfromhisplacetoinspect。Hejumpedbackasthoughhehadbeenshot。
  "Perhapsitwouldbebetter,sir,tosendthemenaway,"saidhetothecolonel,forhewasamuchprivilegedsubaltern。Heputhisarmsroundtherag-boundhorrorashespoke,anddroppedhimintoachair。ItmaynothavebeenexplainedthatthelittlenessofMildredlayinhisbeingsixfeetfourandbiginproportion。Thecorporalseeingthatanofficerwasdisposedtolookafterthecapture,andthatthecolonel’seyewasbeginningtoblaze,promptlyremovedhimselfandhismen。Themesswasleftalonewiththecarbine-thief,wholaidhisheadonthetableandweptbitterly,hopelessly,andinconsolablyaslittlechildrenweep。