Yet freely and personally as he spoke, many points remained obscure
in his narration. The Engineers, for instance, was a service which
he praised highly; it is true there would be trouble with the
sergeants; but then the officers were gentlemen, and his own, in
particular, one among ten thousand. It sounded so far exactly like
an episode in the rakish, topsy-turvy life of such an one as I had
imagined. But then there came incidents more doubtful, which showed
an almost impudent greed after gratuities, and a truly impudent
disregard for truth. And then there was the tale of his departure.
He had wearied, it seems, of Woolwich, and one fine day, with a
companion, slipped up to London for a spree. I have a suspicion that
spree was meant to be a long one; but God disposes all things; and
one morning, near Westminster Bridge, whom should he come across but
the very sergeant who had recruited him at first! What followed? He
himself indicated cavalierly that he had then resigned. Let us put
it so. But these resignations are sometimes very trying.
At length, after having delighted us for hours, he took himself away
from the companion; and I could ask Mackay who and what he was.
Pages:
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91