Phillip like the fat man. He paid up. “Thanks, old man, much obliged.” The organiser collected twelve half-crowns; and that night in his cubicle Phillip studied the questions, feeling restless as he sat before the tortoise stove—one officer to a cubicle now—because he could have answered every question easily without having first seen the paper. It was too late, after mess dinner, to go down to meet Teddie, Jack and others of the group that met nightly in the Angel, and later foregathered at the theatre bar.
The written exam took place the next morning; after which the staff captain sealed the papers in a large O.H.M.S. envelope with red wax, upon which he impressed his signet. And on the following day, before the oral, when the staff sergeant was complimented for the way he had brought along his section, it was given out that all had got full marks for their papers.
The staff captain then asked questions, from a printed card in his hand. In turn each member of the class appeared before him, out of ear-shot of the others. Phillip, as senior, went first.
“What do you do when arriving at a new billet?”
“I look for nails, holes, broken bottles, and shell splinters et cetera, which might damage the animals in my care, sir.”
“What is highly essential in the matter of feeding?”
“Cleanliness of nose-bags, or mangers if in permanent shelters, sir.”
“If in the open?”
“I do not wait for bad weather before I make my drainage and good standing for my animals.”
“What is one of the main things to avoid in stables, and why?”
“The foremost is overcrowding, which prevents horses resting and often results in dangerous kicking.”
“What is better than poor ventilation?”
“A draught, sir.”
“If a horse goes lame, what do you do and why?”
“I examine its feet, and look for a nail, or stone in the frog. I feel if the foot is hot, of course. I look for any swelling in the pastern joint, in front of the fetlock.”
“What is the only permitted excuse for dirty lines?”
“Well, the manual says a hurried advance or retreat, sir, but in practice there wouldn’t be any time to let droppings accumulate.”
“That’s a sound point. I see you’ve been out. How do you feel about your work?”
“I am very keen, sir.”
“No trouble with your leg?”
“None at all, sir!”
“Right. Next officer, please!”
The riding parade was held in the afternoon. Over the jumps with and without irons, as now stirrups were spoken of; figures of eight, and the ‘aids’ for changing feet at each half turn; jumping with arms folded. Phillip was sorry for those on poor horses. Black Prince seemed to know what was wanted, and did it, his only fault being impetuosity. His mount, ears pricked to his rider’s least intention, was off at a gallop too easily. “Bit of blood in that gelding. Nice ’oss,” Phillip heard the Colonel saying to the Riding Master.
“I fancy a deposit is growing upon the off fore pastern bones, just above the coronet, sir,” said the Riding Master, who had a dour look of the night-before on his face under the flattened cap.
The section passed out. A week’s leave was given each officer, after which postings would be announced. Phillip was reluctant to go home, so he stayed in camp, riding into the town by day, Black Prince being available whenever he wanted a mount, said the sergeant, looking him in the eye. So he got a bottle of whiskey for six and six in the mess, and wrapping it in a towel inside his haversack, left the haversack at the sergeant’s hut. When he collected the haversack, a pair of issue breeches, of the best Bedford cord, were neatly wrapped beside the towel.
The sergeant was a friend of the quarter-master sergeant, a big man of unknown age whose white hair was dyed black. He wore many campaign ribands, the first being for Riel’s Rebellion, he explained, and the Red River Expedition in Canada in 1870, followed by the occupation under Lord
The written exam took place the next morning; after which the staff captain sealed the papers in a large O.H.M.S. envelope with red wax, upon which he impressed his signet. And on the following day, before the oral, when the staff sergeant was complimented for the way he had brought along his section, it was given out that all had got full marks for their papers.
The staff captain then asked questions, from a printed card in his hand. In turn each member of the class appeared before him, out of ear-shot of the others. Phillip, as senior, went first.
“What do you do when arriving at a new billet?”
“I look for nails, holes, broken bottles, and shell splinters et cetera, which might damage the animals in my care, sir.”
“What is highly essential in the matter of feeding?”
“Cleanliness of nose-bags, or mangers if in permanent shelters, sir.”
“If in the open?”
“I do not wait for bad weather before I make my drainage and good standing for my animals.”
“What is one of the main things to avoid in stables, and why?”
“The foremost is overcrowding, which prevents horses resting and often results in dangerous kicking.”
“What is better than poor ventilation?”
“A draught, sir.”
“If a horse goes lame, what do you do and why?”
“I examine its feet, and look for a nail, or stone in the frog. I feel if the foot is hot, of course. I look for any swelling in the pastern joint, in front of the fetlock.”
“What is the only permitted excuse for dirty lines?”
“Well, the manual says a hurried advance or retreat, sir, but in practice there wouldn’t be any time to let droppings accumulate.”
“That’s a sound point. I see you’ve been out. How do you feel about your work?”
“I am very keen, sir.”
“No trouble with your leg?”
“None at all, sir!”
“Right. Next officer, please!”
The riding parade was held in the afternoon. Over the jumps with and without irons, as now stirrups were spoken of; figures of eight, and the ‘aids’ for changing feet at each half turn; jumping with arms folded. Phillip was sorry for those on poor horses. Black Prince seemed to know what was wanted, and did it, his only fault being impetuosity. His mount, ears pricked to his rider’s least intention, was off at a gallop too easily. “Bit of blood in that gelding. Nice ’oss,” Phillip heard the Colonel saying to the Riding Master.
“I fancy a deposit is growing upon the off fore pastern bones, just above the coronet, sir,” said the Riding Master, who had a dour look of the night-before on his face under the flattened cap.
The section passed out. A week’s leave was given each officer, after which postings would be announced. Phillip was reluctant to go home, so he stayed in camp, riding into the town by day, Black Prince being available whenever he wanted a mount, said the sergeant, looking him in the eye. So he got a bottle of whiskey for six and six in the mess, and wrapping it in a towel inside his haversack, left the haversack at the sergeant’s hut. When he collected the haversack, a pair of issue breeches, of the best Bedford cord, were neatly wrapped beside the towel.
The sergeant was a friend of the quarter-master sergeant, a big man of unknown age whose white hair was dyed black. He wore many campaign ribands, the first being for Riel’s Rebellion, he explained, and the Red River Expedition in Canada in 1870, followed by the occupation under Lord
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