Part 22 (1/2)
”Destination, sir?” asked Brammle
”Not disclosed!”
”Where do we entrain?” asked Warrington
”We march out of Delhi Entrain later, at a place appointed on the road”
Warrington began to hum to hiet a 's ready, but-”
”Wait a ton remained in the roo to anybody, of course, about that incident last night?”
”No, sir”
”Then she has!”
Warrington whistled
”Are you sure she has?”
”Quite I've just had proof of it!”
”Makes a fellow reverence the sex!” swore Warrington
”It'll be forgotten by the time we're back in India,” said Kirby solemnly ”Remember to keep absolutely silent about it The best way to help others forget it is to forget it yourself Not one word now to anybody, even under provocation!”
”Not a word, sir!”
”All right Go and attend to business!”
What ”attending to business”up of quarters at short notice Everything was ready, as Warrington had boasted, but even an automobile may ”stall” for a tiiment contains as many separate human equations as it has men in its ranks
The amount of personal possessions that had to be jettisoned, or left to the tender roans from any one but soldiers The last minute details that seemed to be nobody's job, and that, therefore, all fell to Warrington because soination of any but an adjutant, and not even Warrington's iination proved quite equal to the task
”We're ready, sir!” he reported at last to Kirby ”We're paraded and waiting Brammle's inspected 'em, and I've done ditto There are only thirteen thousand details left undone that I can't think of, and not one of 'eh to keep us waitin'!”
So Kirby rode out on parade and took the regiment's salute There was nobody to see theate, for they marched away at dinner-time and official lies had been distributed where they would do lish farewells of their kindred; and there was only a civilian on a white pony, so ahead, who see He led theiuard last of all, it was too late to run and warn people Outrah noon, and nobody the wiser!
There was nobits and rattling hoofs proclaiht for the ”Salt” They marched in the direction least expected of them, three-quarters of a day before their scheduled time, and even ”Guppy,” the on with the officers' luggage, behaved as if all ends of the world were one to hinity and trotted in content
Hard by the Ajmere Gate they halted, for soative of getting in the way While the bullocks, to ation, labored in the ht one, Colonel Kirby sat his charger al patiently Then the advance-guard clattered off and he led along
He never knehere it caht it instinctively, and kept it for the sake of chivalry, or perhaps because she had made him think for a moment of his mother At all events, the bunch of jasmine flowers that fell into his lap found a warh the great gate with a kinder thought for Yasuess