Chapter XII: The Route Arrives

Jack found life ‘on detachment’ very pleasant, and time soon passed. Sergeant Barrymore was most kind to him, and took great pains to make him an efficient soldier.

One great piece of good news Jack heard, and that was that his mother’s affairs had unexpectedly improved, and that his family were coming down to rent a pretty little cottage at Kingston; and when they arrived Jack was able to run over and see them three or four times a week. Molly got several music-pupils, who paid very well, and things were more comfortable with the Blairs than they had been since the father’s death. At Christmas Jack got leave, and a very jolly day they had at Rose Cottage.

The New Year came in and weeks rolled by. Will Hodson occasionally rode over from the regiment and brought news. Napper was sent to Coventry by the rest of the trumpeters. Sergeant Linham kept an eye on him, and had it not been that he was an excellent performer and in the good books of the bandmaster things might have gone awkwardly with him.

But there were other topics than Napper to think of just then. During those early weeks of the year there were persistent rumours of war. War was in the air--war with Russia or Turkey; the soldiers were not sure which, nor did they care. Then, early in February, the Guards left England for Malta. They had a rousing reception as they marched through London. The wiseacres said there would be no war after all. In spite of their prophecy other regiments went, and excitement rose to fever-heat. Cavalry were to follow, and every trooper longed for his chance; but no regiments were named.

It was on a fine April morning that Jack and his troop were returning from exercising the horses when they saw coming along the road towards them a Lancer in full-dress, his plume and lance-flags fluttering in the wind. On reaching Cornet Leland, the trooper reined in, brought his lance to the ‘carry,’ and handed the officer a long blue official envelope.

Cornet Leland read quickly; then turning to his men cried, ‘Hurrah, boys, we’re under orders for the East; we’ve got the route. We join headquarters at once.’

For a moment the troopers gazed at one another; then a cheer burst from them that made the occupants of the houses around come running to their windows to see what was the matter.

The orderly returned to Hounslow the richer by half-a-crown, and Cornet Leland, giving his troop the word, started at a trot for their quarters.

From the moment the news was received there was but one topic of conversation--war was declared and the 17th were going. Jack went over to Rose Cottage that evening and found a sorrowful family. They had already seen in the papers that Jack’s regiment was under orders for the East, and the news filled them with consternation.

Jack had to reason with his relatives. ‘It’s a soldier’s duty to fight,’ he said; ‘that is what we are paid and trained for.’

But his arguments did little to console his relatives. It was all right for others to go; but for their own Jack--that was different. Still, the parting had to come, and it was so painful that Jack felt he could not endure another such ordeal before he embarked. It unnerved him, and for worlds he would not appear downcast before his comrades.

Jack’s troop rejoined headquarters and found everything in a state of great excitement. Will was delighted to have Jack with him again, and told him all the news. The next morning headquarters, with which was Napper, started for Portsmouth, whence they were to embark; the scenes of parting before the men mounted--wives, fathers, children, snatching a last embrace, a final kiss, as the trumpet sounded the parade--being very painful.

When next morning Jack’s troop paraded, the scenes of the day before were repeated. As they passed through the gates with the band of a Dragoon regiment playing ‘Annie Laurie,’ pale-faced women clung to the stirrup-leathers of many of the men and went with them among the cheering thousands outside. About a mile from the barracks the trumpet sounded the ‘trot,’ and these poor wretches were left behind.

After a time the ‘walk march’ was again resumed, and the men broke out into a song at that time very popular, the words of which the troops slightly altered to suit the war-fever:

Cheer, boys, cheer! for country, mother country;
Cheer, boys, cheer! united heart and hand;
Cheer, boys, cheer! we’re going to beat the Russians;
Cheer, boys, cheer, for our dear native land!

‘They’d better wait till they’ve done a bit of fighting,’ growled Linham; ‘then perhaps they won’t have so much breath for cheering.’

On the third day Jack’s troop reached Cosham, and there they were billeted until the ship that was to convey them to the East was ready. This was in two days’ time, and then, in spick and span order, the troop marched into Portsmouth. The band of the gallant Cameronians came out to play them into the town, and through cheering thousands they marched.

They went straight to the docks, and there Jack found Will, and was delighted to learn they were both going in the same ship, the _Eveline_. It took some time to get all aboard, both men and horses; but at last, everything being finished, Jack and Will found themselves on deck taking their last look for many and many a month at an English crowd of civilians. After the usual delays and bustle and scurry, the anchor was weighed, and amidst the ringing cheers of thousands of spectators the Eveline stood gently out across the Solent.

‘Jack,’ said Will rather sadly, ‘I wonder what we shall be doing this day six months?’

Well for them that neither of them could foresee, for the date was April 25th, and that day six months was the day of the death-ride of the immortal ‘Six Hundred.’