Part 22 (1/2)
”You'll be summoned,” said Bevis. ”There will be a muster-roll and a trumpet blown, and you'll have to march a thousand miles.”
”All right.”
”And the swords have to be made, and the eagles, besides the map of the roads and the grub,”--(”Provisions,” said Mark)--”provisions, of course, and all the rest, and how do you think a war is to be got ready in a minute, you stupes!” in a tone of great indignation.
They grumbled: they wanted a big battle on the spot.
”If you bother me much,” said Bevis, ”while I'm getting the fleet ready, there shan't be a war at all.”
”Are you getting a fleet?”
”Here are the sails,” said Mark, holding up some canvas.
”Well, you won't be long?”
”You'll let us know?”
”Shall we tell anybody else?”
”Lots,” said Bevis; ”tell lots. We're going to have the biggest armies ever seen.”
”Thousands,” said Mark. ”Millions!”
”Millions!” said Bevis.
”Hurrah!” they shouted.
”Here,” said Bevis, throwing the remainder of the cherries out like a shower among them.
”Are you coming to quoits?”
”O! no,” said Mark, ”we have so much to do; now go away.” The soldiery moved off through the garden, s.n.a.t.c.hing lawlessly at any fruit they saw.
”Mark,” said Bevis on his knees again, ”these sails will have to be hemmed, you know.”
”So they will.”
”We can't do it. You must take them home to Frances, and make her st.i.tch them; roll them up and go directly.”
”I don't want to go home,” said Mark. ”And perhaps she won't st.i.tch them.”
”I'm sure she will; she will do anything for me.”
”So she will,” said Mark rather sullenly. ”Everybody does everything for you.”
Bevis had rolled up the sails, quite indifferent as to what people did for him, and put them into Mark's unwilling hands.
”Now you can have the donkey, and mind and come back before breakfast.”
”I can't catch him,” said Mark.