CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
"How are your sore knees?" said Mercer one morning soon after my longfirst lesson in riding.
"Oh, dreadful!" I cried. "They get a little better, and then theriding makes them bad again."
"But why don't he let you have a saddle?"
"He does now," I said--"that is, he did yesterday; but it's worse ridingon a saddle, it's so slippery, and he will not let me have anystirrups."
"When are you going again?"
"To-day, I suppose. The Doctor says I'm to get on as fast as possible,and make up with my other studies afterwards."
"Wish I was going to learn to ride."
"You wouldn't much like it if you had to," I replied. "Oh, I don'tknow. It looks very nice to see you going along. But, I say, it doesmake Burr major so wild. I heard him tell Dicksee he should make hisfather send him a horse, and Dicksee said he ought to, and I laughed."
"Did he hear you?"
"Yes, and gave me such a clip on the head with a cricket stump. Feelhere."
I placed my hand where he suggested, and there was a good-sized lump.
"What a shame!" I cried indignantly. "Didn't you hit him again?"
"No; I only put it down. We're going to pay it all back some day."
"Yes; but when?" I cried.
Mercer shook his head.
"I say," he continued, "I saw old Magglin this morning beforebreakfast."
"What was he doing here?"
"Dunno. Wanted to see me, I suppose, and borrow a shilling."
"Did you lend him one?"
"Yes; I felt obliged to."
Just then Burr major came by us, and looked us both over sharply.
"Haven't you two got any lessons to get ready?" he said.
"Yes," I replied.
"Then go in and get them ready before I report you both to Mr Hasnip.Do you hear?"
"Yes," I said; "but I'm going to have my riding lesson."
"Your riding lesson!" he sneered; "you're always going to have yourriding lesson. I never saw such a school as it's getting to be. It'sshameful! I shall go and ask Mr Hasnip if we boys are to be keptalways at work, while you and Tom Mercer are idling about and enjoyingyourselves."
"All right," said Mercer oracularly, in a whisper to me, as Burr majorwalked off importantly for a few yards, attended by his satellites, andthen stopped, drew out his watch with a flourish, looked at it, and putit back with an air that he intended to be graceful.
"Look here, you, Tom Mercer--do you hear, Jollop? You're not going tohave riding lessons. I give you five minutes to get back to your work,and if you are not there then--you'll see."
"All right," said Mercer again; and then, as Burr major was out ofhearing, "Any one would think he was the Doctor. Oh, I should liketo--" he continued, grinding his teeth. "Think we could, Frank?"
"I don't know," I said hesitatingly; "but when he talks like that, itmakes me feel horribly mad, and as if I should like to try."
"Never mind. Wait a bit; the revolution isn't ripe yet," said Mercerdarkly. "Wish I'd got a watch like that."
I was very angry, but my companion's sudden change from thoughts ofrevenge to covetousness seemed exceedingly droll.
"What are you laughing at?" he said.
"At you about the watch."
"Well, I can't help it, Frank. That watch seems always staring at mewith its round white face, and holding out its hands to me. I dream ofit of a night, and I'm always longing for it of a day. You can't tellhow bad it makes me feel sometimes."
"You shouldn't think about it, Tom."
"I can't help it. I don't want to, but the thoughts will come,dreadfully. I say," he whispered darkly, "I don't wonder at chapsstealing sometimes, if they feel like I do."
"What nonsense!" I cried: "I say, here's Eely coming back."
"Is he?" said Mercer sharply. "Then I'm off in."
"Why, you're never going to be such a coward as to be bullied intoobeying his orders."
"Oh yes, I am," replied my companion. "Time isn't ripe yet. But whenit is--oh!"
He gave vent to that exclamation with peculiar force, though it was onlya low hiss, and I followed him with my eyes, half disposed to think thatTom Mercer would prove a rotten reed to lean upon if I wanted hissupport in a struggle against our tyrant; though, truth to tell, as Burrcame rolling along with half a dozen boys about, all ready at a wordfrom him to rush at me, I did not feel at all confident of being able toresist his authority, and I began to move off.
"Hullo!" he cried. "Here's the gallant horseman, boys. Let's go andsee him ride."
"Yah! he can't ride," cried Dicksee; "he'll tumble off."
"Not he," said Burr major. "Old Lom ties his ankles together under thehorse. But he does look an awful fool when he's on board. I say, Burrjunior, you don't think you can ride, do you?"
"No," I said quietly.
"And you never will. I say, boys, what an ugly beggar he grows! I knowwhy he's learning riding."
"Do you? Why?" cried Dicksee.
"They're going to make a groom of him."
The blood flushed up in my face, and I began to feel as if the time mustbe getting ripe.
"Why, he was bragging about going to be a soldier!" cried another boy.
"Him! A soldier! Ha, ha, ha!" cried Burr major. "They wouldn't evenhave a big-eared-looking fellow like that for a parchment-whopper."
"He said a horse soldier."
"Horse sneak," said Burr major scornfully. "A soldier! Ho, ho, ho!Ha, ha, ha! I say, boys--a soldier!"
He burst into a yell of laughter, all forced, of course, and hissatellites roared too, some of them, to curry favour, beginning to danceabout him, and look eagerly in his face, as if for orders.
Of course it was very absurd to mind, but I could not help it, andtingled all over.
"Oh, I wish Mercer was here!" I thought to myself.
"The time must be ripe;" and I suppose my face showed something of whatI felt, for Burr major cried,--
"Look at the puppy, boys; he looks as if he wanted to bite. Did youever see such an impudent beggar? I don't believe his name's Burr atall. It's only a bit of a show-off."
At that moment there was a hail from the paddock, and the school bellrang for the first lesson.
"There, groom, you're wanted," said Burr major sneeringly. "Go on andlearn to ride, and mind you don't hurt yourself."
"Yah! Go on, ugly!" cried Dicksee, and the boys roared.
"Do you hear, sham sodger? Be off, and don't stand staring like that,"cried Burr major again. "I told you to go."
"Go yourself," I retorted, now thoroughly roused, and feeling reckless."Go in to school and learn your lessons, and mind the Doctor don't caneyou."
"What?" cried the tall, thin fellow, flushing up, as he advanced upon memenacingly, while the bell was rapidly getting toward its laststrokes,--"what's that you say?"
"Go in and get to your lessons, and take that fat-faced booby with you."
"Well!" cried Burr, "of all!" and he looked astounded.
"That's it, is it? Cheeking me because you know I can't stop now. Butall right, I shan't forget it. If I do, Dicksee, you remind me afterlessons that I've got to warm Jollop and this groom boy. The Doctor'sbeen spoiling them both lately, and they want taking down."
"All in, all in, to begin!" was shouted from the doors.
"Oh yes, we're coming soon," said Burr major, throwing up his head."Wait a bit, you, sir, and I'll teach you to insult your seniors."
"All in, all in!"
"Here, Dicksee, go and hit that fellow on the mouth for shouting."
"All in, all in!" came again, directed at our group.
"Coming," cried Burr major. Then to me: "After morning studies, yousir. I don't suppose I shall forget."
"If you do, I shan't, bully," I said, and he turned upon me moreastonished than ever, and then burst into a fit of derisive laughter.
"He's mad," he cried. "Here, boys, Senna's
been gammoning him intotaking some of his physic, and he don't know what he's saying."
"Dicksee--Burr major. Come, boys."
Mr Rebble was standing in the schoolhouse doorway, and all but Burrmajor ran off. He took out his watch, and walked away importantly afterthe others, while I felt a peculiar nervous thrill run through me, andbegan wondering whether I had been too bold, as I went off hurriedly nowto where Lomax was waiting with the horse.
"I don't care," I said; "he may thrash me, but I won't be bullied likethat, and insulted, without a try."
"Come, young gentleman," cried the sergeant. "I began to think you weregoing to shirk it."
"Not I, Lom," I cried, and, feeling peculiarly excited, I went up to thehorse's head and patted him, while the sergeant removed the stirrups.Then he gave me a leg up, and I was hoisted into my seat, and wentthrough my lesson--walk, trot, and gallop, with the saddle seeming lessslippery, and without coming off once.
The sergeant, I noticed, was very severe, and barked and shouted at meand the horse, keeping us doing the same things over and over again, andgrowing more exacting as we went on. But I hardly noticed him, for myhead was all in a whirl, and I was thinking about after lessons, andwhat would happen then. So occupied was I with my thoughts that I neveronce felt nervous, but as if all I had to do was to sit still and letthe horse obey the orders.
Lomax finished me off with a canter round the paddock, which was takenat a pretty good pace, and very easy the horse's pace was, but I wasthinking of Burr major's sneering face all the time, and his long armsand bony white hands. Then about Mercer, and what he would say--what hewould do.
"Are we both to have a good thrashing?" I asked myself, as the horsecantered on, and, "Right wheel--left wheel--forward!" rang in my ears."Are we to be made more uncomfortable than ever?" I thought; "and shallwe forget all about what old Lom taught us?"
My arms did not move, my left hand held the reins on a level with myimaginary waist-belt, about which the sergeant talked, and my right handhung steadily down just by my leg, but all the time I was on guard, andkeenly on the watch for blows from those white bony hands that seemed tobe flourished before me. Then I fancied concussions and dizziness, andfelt blows, and rolled over upon the grass, but not off the horse, forit was all fancy; and I was just seeing in my mind's eye poor Tom Mercergoing down before a heavy blow from Dicksee's fat fist, when there rangout the word, "Halt!" and the horse stopped short.
Lomax strode up in his stiff military fashion, and patted the cob on theneck.
"Well?" he said sharply. "What am I to say to you now?"
"I--I don't know," I faltered. "Shall we go through it again."
"No, no let the trooper breathe a bit. He has been kept at it prettytightly. Well, how do you feel--stiff?"
"No," I said, flushing a little, full of a feeling of regret for myneglect in my lesson.
"Bit sore about the knees, eh?"
"Oh yes, my knees keep very sore," I faltered.
"Of course they do. Never so hard worked before. Soon get better. Letme see, this makes just a month you've been at it, eh?"
"Yes, this is the end of the fourth week."
"Then don't you think I deserve a bit of credit?"
"Oh yes!" I cried eagerly. "You have taken great pains over me, Lom.I wish I had not been so stupid."
"So do I," he said drily. "Saddle feel very slippery this morning?"
"Oh no, I didn't notice it," I replied.
"Didn't long for the stirrups?"
"I didn't think about them."
"Felt as if you belonged to the horse now, eh, and could let yourself gowith him?"
"Oh yes," I said.
"Well, then, all I've got to say, my boy, is, `Brayvo!' You wentthrough it all wonderfully this morning, and quite astonished me.Seemed as if you and the horse were one, and you never showed the whitefeather once. Why, in another two or three months your uncle shall beproud of you."
"Then I went through my lesson well?" I said.
"Splendidly, boy, splendidly. Couldn't have done better. Now, trot thenag down home. Stop, you shall have the stirrups."
"No, not to-day, Lomax," I said. "I've got an--an engagement to keep.Please take him down yourself."
"Right. I will. Hah! we've been longer than I thought, for the boysare coming out of school. Then down you come, and good morning."
I leaped off the horse, not feeling a bit stiff. Lomax replaced thestirrups, mounted, and went off again in the upright, steady way I hadbefore admired, while I stood there listening to the shouting of theboys, and thinking of the thrashing I was bound to receive.
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