letter.Every now and then bundles of sticks for swords, and longer ones forspears and darts, and rods for arrows, were brought in by the soldiery.All these were taken upstairs into the bench-room, or armoury, becausethey did not like their things looked at or touched, and there was alook and key to that room. Bevis always kept the key in his pocket now.
They could not fit a head to the oyster barrel for the fresh water onthe voyage, but found a large round tin canister with a tight lid, suchas contain cornflour, and which would go inside the oyster barrel. Thetin canister would hold water, and could be put in the barrel, so as tolook proper. More sticks kept coming, and knobbed clubs, till thearmoury was crowded with the shafts of weapons. Now that Bevis hadconsented to go to war, all the rest were eager to serve him, so that heeasily got a messenger to take a note (as Mark was afraid to go) toFrances to be quick with the stitching.
In the evening Bevis tore another broad folio page or fly-leaf from oneof the big books in the parlour, and took it out into the summer-house,where they kept an old chair--the back gone--which did very well for atable. Cutting his pencil, Bevis took his hat off and threw it on theseat which ran round inside; then kneeling down, as the table was solow, he proceeded to draw his map of the coming campaign.
Volume One, Chapter XIV.
THE COUNCIL OF WAR.
"I say!"
"Battleaxes--"
"Saint George is right--"
"Hold your tongue."
"Pikes twenty feet long."
"Marching two and two."
"Do stop."
"I shall be general."
"That you won't."
"Romans had shields."
"Battleaxes are best."
"Knobs with spikes."
"I say--I say!"
"You're a donkey!"
"They had flags--"
"And drums."
"I've got a flute."
"I--"
"You!"
"Yes, _me_."
"Hi!"
"Tom."
"If you hit me, I'll hit you."
"Now."
"Don't."
"Be quiet."
"Go on."
"Let's begin."
"I will,"--buzz--buzz--buzz!
Phil, Tom, Ted, Jim, Frank, Walter, Bill, "Charl," Val, Bob, Cecil, Sam,Fred, George, Harry, Michael, Jack, Andrew, Luke, and half a dozen morewere talking all together, shouting across each other, occasionallyfighting, wrestling, and rolling over on the sward under an oak. Therewere two up in the tree, bellowing their views from above, and littleCharlie ("Charl") was astride of a bough which he had got hold of,swinging up and down, and yelling like the rest. Some stood by the edgeof the water, for the oak was within a few yards of the New Sea, andalternately made ducks and drakes, and turned to contradict theirfriends.
On higher ground beyond, a herd of cows grazed in perfect peace, whilethe swallows threaded a maze in and out between them, but just above thegrass. The New Sea was calm and smooth as glass, the sun shone in acloudless sky, so that the shadow of the oak was pleasant; but theswallows had come down from the upper air, and Bevis, as he stood alittle apart listening in an abstracted manner to the uproar, watchedthem swiftly gliding in and out. He had convened a council of all thosewho wanted to join the war in the fields, because it seemed best to keepthe matter secret, which could not be done if they came to the house,else perhaps the battle would be interfered with. This oak was chosenas it was known to every one.
It grew alone in the meadow, and far from any path, so that they couldtalk as they liked. They had hardly met ten minutes when the confusionled to frequent blows and pushes, and the shouting was so great that noone could catch more than disjointed sentences. Mark now came runningwith the map in his hand; it had been forgotten, and he had been sent tofetch it. As he came near, and they saw him, there was a partial lull.
"What an awful row you have been making," he said, "I heard it allacross the field. Why don't you choose sides?"
"Who's to choose?" said Ted, as if he did not know that he should be oneof the leaders. He was the tallest and biggest of them all, a head andshoulders above Bevis.
"You, of course," came in chorus.
"And you needn't look as if you didn't want to," shouted somebody, atwhich there was a laugh.
"Now, Bevis, Bevis! Sides." They crowded round, and pulled Bevis intothe circle.
"Best two out of three," said Mark. "Here's a penny."
"Lend me one," said Ted.
Phil handed him the coin.
"You'll never get it back," cried one of the crowd. Ted was ratherknown for borrowing on the score of his superior strength.
"Bevis, you're dreaming," as Bevis stood quiet and motionless, still inhis far-away mood. "Toss."
Bevis tossed, the penny spun, and he caught it on the back of his hand;Mark nudged him.
"Cry."
"Head," said Ted. Mark nudged again; but it was a head. Mark stampedhis foot.
"Tail," and it was a tail; Ted won the toss.
"I told you how to do it," whispered Mark to Bevis in a fierce whisper,"and you didn't."
"Choose," shouted everybody. Ted beckoned to Val, who came and stoodbehind him. He was the next biggest, very easy tempered and afavourite, as he would give away anything.
"Choose," shouted everybody again. It was Bevis's turn, and of coursehe took Mark. So far it was all understood, but it was now Ted's turn,and no one knew who he would select. He looked round and called Phil, astout, short, slow-speaking boy, who had more pocket-money, and was moreinclined to books than most of them.
"Who shall I have?" said Bevis aside to Mark.
"Have Bill," said Mark. "He's strong."
Bill was called, and came over. Ted took another--rank and file--andthen Bevis, who was waking up, suddenly called "Cecil."
"You stupe," said Mark. "He can't fight."
Cecil, a shy, slender lad, came and stood behind his leader.
"You'll lose everybody," said Mark. "Ted will have all the big ones.There, he's got Tim. Have Fred; I saw him knock George over once."
Fred came, and the choosing continued, each trying to get the bestsoldiers, till none were left but little Charlie, who was an odd one.
"He's no good," said Ted; "you can put him in your pocket."
"I hate you," said Charlie; "after all the times I've run with messagesfor you. Bevis, let me come your side."
"Take him," said Ted; "but mind, you'll have one more if you do, and Ishall get some one else."
"Then he'll get a bigger one," said Mark. "Don't have him; he'll onlybe in the way."
Charlie began to walk off with his head hanging.
"Cry-baby," shouted the soldiery. "Pipe your eye."
"Come here," said Bevis; Charlie ran back delighted.
"Well, you have done it," said Mark in a rage. "Now Ted will haveanother twice as big. What's the use of my trying when you are sostupid! I never did see. We shall be whopped anyhow."
Quite heedless of these reproaches, Bevis asked Ted who were to be hislieutenants.
"I shall have Val and Phil," said Ted.
"And I shall have Mark and Cecil," said Bevis. "Let us count. How manyare there on each side? Mark, write down all ours. Haven't you apocket-book? well, do it on the back of the map. Ted, you had better dothe same."
"Phil," said Ted, who was not much of a student, "you put down thenames."
Phil, a reader in a slow way, did as he was bidden. There were fifteenon Bevis's side, and fourteen on Ted's, who was to choose another tomake it even.
"There's the muster-roll," said Mark, holding up the map.
"But how shall we know one another?" said George.
"Who's friends, and who's enemies," said Fred.
"Else we shall all hit one another anyhow," said another.
"Stick feathers in our hats."
"Ribbons round our arms would be best," said Cecil. "Hats may beknocked off."
"Ribbons will do
first-rate," said Bevis. "I'll have blue; Ted, youhave red. You can buy heaps of ribbon for nothing."
"Phil," said Ted, "have you got any money?"
"Half-a-crown."
"Lend us, then."
"No, I shan't," said Phil: "I'll buy the ribbons myself."
"Let's have a skirmish now," said Bill. "Come on, Val," and
Bevis: The Story of a Boy Page 26