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The Kopje Garrison: A Story of the Boer War, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 35. Company At Dinner |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE. COMPANY AT DINNER "Why didn't you tell me you were going to have it out with the chief?" said Dickenson, encountering his comrade directly he had left the colonel's quarters. "Because you told me never to mention the wretched business again." "Did I? Oh, that was when I was in a wax. Well, what does the old man say?" "That I am to go on as if nothing had happened." "That's good. Well, what else?" "Take my place in my company, and wait till we're relieved, and then be ready for a court-martial." "That's good too, for no one can prove you guilty. What else?" "Keep well in the front, and get myself killed as soon as I can." "If he said that, he's a brute!" cried Dickenson. "Gammon! I don't believe the old man would say such a thing. But look here, I'm precious glad. This means you're going to live it down." Lennox nodded. "Here," he said, "let's go into our hut." "No, not yet. I want to walk up and down in the fresh air a bit." "But the sun is terribly hot." "Do you good," said Dickenson abruptly. "Let's go right to the end and back three or four times." "Bah!" said Lennox. "You want to do this so as to ostentatiously show that you mean to keep friends with me." "Suppose I do. I've a right to, haven't I?" "Not to give me pain. It does. Help me to live it down quietly." "Very well; if you like it better. But I say, you'll show up in the mess-room to-night?" "Why should I?" "Because the place is wretched and the fare's--beastly. There, that doesn't sound nice, but I must say it." "I had rather stay away. It would only provoke what I should feel cruelly, and I could not resent it." "No, but I could; and if any one insults you by sending you to Coventry, I'll provoke him. I suppose I mustn't punch my superior officer's head, but off duty I can tell him what I think of him, and I'll let him have it hot and strong." "Then I shall stay away." "No, you sha'n't. I will instead." "That would be worse, Bob. Look here; I want you to help me to live this charge down, to treat it with quiet contempt. If you make yourself so fierce a partisan you will keep the wound sore and prevent it from healing up." "Very well, then; I'll give it a good chance. There, I promise you I won't show my temper a bit; only play fair." "In what way?" "Don't turn upon me afterwards and call me a coward for not taking your part." "Never fear. I don't want you to get into hot water for my sake." "My dear boy," said Dickenson, chuckling like a cuckoo in a coppice in early spring, "that's impossible." "Why?" "Because I'm in hot water now with everybody, and have been ever since." "I am sorry." "And I am glad--jolly glad. Oh, don't I wish there was duelling still!" "Haven't you killed enough men to satisfy you?" said Lennox sadly. "More than enough. I don't want to kill brother officers, only to give them lessons in manly faith. But bother that! I say: you promise to come and take your place this evening?" "Yes; I promise," said Lennox quietly. "Then I'll tell you something. Roby's coming too." "Roby!" "Yes; for the first time since he got his wound." Lennox was silent. "There, I'm not going to try and teach you, old fellow," continued Dickenson; "but if I were you I should ignore everything, unless the boys do as they should do--meet you like men." "Well," said Lennox, "we shall see." That dinner-time came all too soon for Lennox, who had sat in his shabby quarters thinking how wondrously quiet everything was, and whether after what the colonel had hinted it was the calm preceding the storm. "Come along," cried Dickenson, thrusting his head into the hut. Lennox felt his heart sink as he thought of the coming meeting, for this was the first time he had approached the mess-room since the night of the attack upon the kopje. He winced, too, a little as he passed two sentries, who seemed, he thought, to look curiously at him. But the next moment his companion's rather boisterous prattle fell upon deaf ears, for just in front, on their way to the mess-room, were Roby and the doctor walking arm in arm, and then they disappeared through the door. "Oh, won't I punish the provisions when the war is over!" said Dickenson. _Sniff, sniff_! "Ah! I know you, my friend, in spite of the roasting. I'd a deal rather be outside you than you inside me. And yet it's all prejudice, Drew, old man, for the horse is the cleanest and most particular of vegetable-feeding beasts, and the pig is the nastiest--cannibalistic and vile." They passed through the door together, to find the colonel present, and the other officers about to take their places. Roby had evidently not been prepared for this, and he looked half-stunned when the doctor turned from him, advanced to Lennox, and shook hands. "I wish we had a better dinner in honour of my two convalescents." "This is insufferable," said Roby in a voice choking with anger. "Let that wait, doctor," said the colonel. "Come along, Lennox," cried Dickenson, after darting a furious glance at Roby. "Very, very glad to see you once more in your place." No one else spoke for a few moments, and the dinner was about to be commenced, when Roby suddenly rose to his feet. "Colonel Lindley," he said, in a husky voice full of rage, "are you aware who is present here this evening?" "Yes, Captain Roby," said the colonel sternly. "I desired Mr Lennox, now that he is convalescent, to return to his usual place at the mess-table." Roby's jaw dropped, and he stared at the officers around as if silently asking them whether he heard aright. But every man averted his eyes and assumed to be busy commencing the miserable meal. "Well!" exclaimed Roby at last; and then in a tone which expressed his utter astonishment: "Well." "Sit down, Captain Roby," continued the colonel, raising his eyebrows as he saw that his subordinate was still standing. "I beg your pardon, sir," said Roby stiffly, after looking round in vain for something in the way of moral support from his brother officers, who all sat frowning at their portions. "Yes?" said the colonel calmly. "I have no wish to be insubordinate, but, speaking on behalf of all present here, I desire to say that we feel it impossible to remain at the table in company with one who--" "That will do," said the colonel, fixing Dickenson with his eyes, for that individual had suddenly given vent to a sound that was neither sigh, grunt, ejaculation, nor snort, but something that might have been the result of all these combined. "I beg your pardon, sir?" said Roby hotly. "I said that would do, Captain Roby," replied the colonel. "I did not gather that you had been elected to speak for your brother officers upon a subject about which I consider myself to be the proper arbiter. Moreover, if any officer feels himself aggrieved respecting any one whom I elect to join us at the mess-table, I am always open to hear his complaint." "But really, sir," began Roby indignantly, "this is an assembly of honourable gentlemen." "With an exception," growled Dickenson. "Yes," cried Roby passionately, "with an exception--I may add, two exceptions." "Look here, Captain Roby," cried Dickenson, springing up, "do you mean this as an insult to me?" "Silence!" cried the colonel, rising in turn. "Mr Dickenson, resume your seat." Dickenson dropped down so heavily that the empty cartridge-box that formed his seat cracked as if about to collapse. "Captain Roby," said the colonel, "I beg that you will say no more now upon this painful subject. Resume your seat, sir." "Sir," said Roby, "I must ask your permission to leave the mess-table. Whatever my brother officers may choose to do, I absolutely refuse to sit at the same table with a--" "Stop!" roared Dickenson, springing up again in a furious passion. "If you dare to call my friend Lennox a coward again, court-martial or no court-martial, I'll knock you down." Every man now sprang to his feet as if startled by the sudden verbal shell which had fallen amongst them. Then there was a dead silence, till Lennox said huskily, "Will you give me your permission to return to my quarters, sir?" "No, Mr Lennox," said the colonel quietly. "Take your places again, gentlemen.--Captain Roby--Mr Lennox--if we are alive and uninjured in the morning I will see you both at my quarters with respect to this painful business. To-night we have other matters to arrange. I have just received trustworthy information that another reinforcement has reached the enemy. I have doubled the number of scouts sent out, and as soon as we have dined we have all our work to do in completing our arrangements to meet what the Boers intend for their final attack. Gentlemen, sit down. Our duty to our country first; minor matters of discipline after." There was a low buzz of excitement as every man resumed his seat, Roby alone hesitating, but dropping sharply back into his place in unwilling obedience to a sharp tug given at his tunic by the officers on either side. "What about your promise?" said Lennox in a whisper to Dickenson. "Hang my promise!" growled his comrade. "Do you take me for a stump?" _ |
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