Old-Soldier Sahib

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Frank Richards. Old-Soldier Sahib

Old-Soldier Sahib

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. ENLISTMENT

CHAPTER II. RECRUIT LIFE IN 1900

CHAPTER III. DRAFTED OVERSEAS

CHAPTER IV. THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

CHAPTER V. LOOSE-WALLAHS

CHAPTER VI. ON THE LINE OF MARCH

CHAPTER VII. A HILL-STATION

CHAPTER VIII. NORTH CHINA’S VETERANS

CHAPTER IX. ARCHIE; AND THE ASSISTANT COOK

CHAPTER X. THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES

CHAPTER XI. NATIVE SERVANTS AND PROSTITUTES

CHAPTER XII. SPORT AND FEVER

CHAPTER XIII. MURDERERS, HALF-CASTES, BUN-PUNCHERS

CHAPTER XIV. HEAT

CHAPTER XV. YANK

CHAPTER XVI. THE AMIR AND GERALD

CHAPTER XVII. THE LECTURER

CHAPTER XVIII. BURMAH

CHAPTER XIX. RISHIS AND FAKIRS

CHAPTER XX. HOME AGAIN

Отрывок из книги

Frank Richards

Published by Good Press, 2021

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During the evening Toombs showed me around the grounds of the Barracks, in which there were relics of former wars that the Regiment had taken part in. Outside the Guard-room hung a large ornamental bronze bell which dated from the Burmese War of 1885, and in front of the Officers’ Mess was a field-gun which had been captured during the Crimean War by Captain Bell, V.C., an officer of the Regiment. When we were outside the Canteen Toombs said he was sorry that he could not take me in to have a drink, as he was stony-broke. Although young, I knew how beer tasted and was fond of a glass now and then. I told him to lead on and he could have a drink at my expense. I had about fifteen shillings and after a couple of pints he borrowed five of them, saying that he hated to see me paying all the time. It was my first appearance in a military wet-canteen, and everything seemed strange, including the weakness of the beer. Several men got up and sang songs, sentimental or comic ones, which were loudly applauded, but when one of the old soldiers out of my barrack-room rose to his feet to give one he was clapped and cheered to the echo. Toombs turned to me and said, “Now, youngster, you are going to hear a singer who in my opinion is second to none in the whole of the British Army. Before he has done singing I think you will agree with me.” I did not expect to hear an opera-star but I did think that I was going to hear a singer out of the ordinary deliver a really classy song. I was sadly disappointed: the old soldier had a voice which resembled two rusty tin cans being slowly rubbed edgeways together. He sang a long ballad with a short chorus which was taken up with great gusto by the company present. I have heard some pretty far-fetched songs during my life but this was the king-pin of them all. It was called “The Girl I nearly Wed”. I can only remember the tail-end of one of the later verses, which ran:

I wake up sweating every night to think what might have been,

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