Excerpt: ...fitted in the scheme of local defence and things military at Gungapur. Perhaps he desired to teach the presumptuous upstart, Dearman, a little lesson.... The Brigade Major's demy-official letter, bearing the intimation of the impending visitation-fell as a bolt from the blue and smote the Colonel of the Gungapur Fusiliers a blow that turned his heart to water and loosened the tendons of his knees. The very slack Adjutant was at home on leave; the Sergeant-Major was absolutely new to the Corps; the Sergeant ...
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Excerpt: ...fitted in the scheme of local defence and things military at Gungapur. Perhaps he desired to teach the presumptuous upstart, Dearman, a little lesson.... The Brigade Major's demy-official letter, bearing the intimation of the impending visitation-fell as a bolt from the blue and smote the Colonel of the Gungapur Fusiliers a blow that turned his heart to water and loosened the tendons of his knees. The very slack Adjutant was at home on leave; the Sergeant-Major was absolutely new to the Corps; the Sergeant-Instructor was alcoholic and ill; and there was not a company officer, except the admirable Captain John Robin Ross-Ellison, competent to drill a company as a separate unit, much less to command one in a battalion. And Captain John Robin Ross-Ellison was away on an alleged shikar-trip across the distant Border. Colonel Dearman knew his battalion-drill. He also knew his Gungapur Fusiliers and what they did when they received the orders of those feared and detested evolutions. They walked about, each man a law unto himself, or stood fast until pushed in the desired direction by blasphemous drill-corporals. Nor could any excuse be found wherewith to evade the General. It was near the end of the drill-season, the Corps was up to its full strength, all the Officers were in the station-except Captain Ross-Ellison and the Adjutant. And the Adjutant's absence could not be made a just cause and impediment why the visit of the General should not be paid, for Colonel Dearman had with some difficulty, procured the appointment of one of his Managers as acting-adjutant. To do so he had been moved to describe the man as an "exceedingly smart and keen Officer," and to state that the Corps would in no way suffer by this temporary change from a military to a civilian adjutant, from a professional to an amateur. Perhaps the Colonel was right-it would have taken more than that to make the Gungapur Fusiliers "suffer." And all had gone exceeding well up to the...
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Seller's Description:
Used-Very Good. VG hardback (no dust jacket) Owner's name; spine a little faded, with badly worn lettering. "The stories of a man, a boy, a woman, and certain other people who strangely met upon the sea of life".
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PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.
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Seller's Description:
PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT SHIP TO DENMARK. New Book. Shipped from UK in 4 to 14 days. Established seller since 2000. Please note we cannot offer an expedited shipping service from the UK.