Redcoat Captain: A Story of That Country — A Closer Reading

His had jolly little curls all over, with blue eyes under: hers was chestnut, with grey eyes like clouds in a lake.

She was between ten and twenty: he was a little more.

He was so tall that the Fellows called him Tiny: her name was Mabel, so they called her Baby.

So Tiny came to the Fort on the Hill where the sun used to set; and it was noon.

And the Fort was a round wall with a barrack-square inside. And through a hole in the wall a great cannon of artillery peeped out over the country to keep Them down: for They were always supposed to be there, though nobody had ever seen Them.

Then Tiny climbed in through the cannon-hole, and on to the barrack-square, where nobody was now only the back-view of Goliath, the elephant, whisking his tail in the stable, while the Boy, who saw to him, slept among his feet.

So Tiny walked across the square in the sun till he came to a door in the dark of the wall. And on the door was painted in white letters

which the Fellows said meant,

Old General Roast End,

Officers' Grub Royal Elephants,

which was the name of the Regiment.

And the Regiment was so named by order of the King because that pleased old Goly, so that he trampled less at night, when the Fellows wanted to sleep.

Then Tiny knocked at the door and went in.

And the room had crossed sugar-sticks on the wall, and a row of bottles full of little black and white marbly balls on the mantel-piece, and over them a great motto,

_Every Bull's Eye has its billet._

And in one corner was a pile of painted india-rubber cannon-balls. And there was a huge fire roaring, though it was summer. And before the fire stood the General, with his hands behind him, sucking something and warming himself.

Then Tiny shut the door, and began,

"I am Tiny; and I am going to marry Baby. How long will I stop in this hole, because about taking a house to put Baby in?"

So the General bent towards his boots; and his head shone; and his boots shone; and he bulged over the fire; and he said,

"I am Sir Goodall Grouse, and a Major-General. I had ought to be a full General if I had me rights--only they cheat so."

Then he bowed himself straight; and he was very red and tight; and he shot his neck till the veins swelled, and he shouted,

"And I don't care who knows it."

So Tiny, who knew Generals, pretended sad, and shook his head, and answered,

"When we go out to war, Sir, we always say that if only Sir Goodall came and did it, it wouldn't be a war at all, to call one, it would be a walk-over."

And when the General heard that, he sat down and said,

"You are a very promisin young officer _indeed_!" And he made a bump in his cheek with his tongue, and wrote upon the blotting-paper for ten minutes most industriously,

_Captain Tiny to be reccomended for promotion:_

Then he turned to Tiny and rubbed his hands and said,

"And now what will you allow me for to do for you?" And the clerk was so astonished that he poked in to see.

So Tiny told for the second time.

Then the General rolled the quid of toffee in his cheek very wisely, and he wrinkled, and said,

"Well. You will probly stop here for all time, and certainly for years and years. And you may take that on the word of Sir Goodall Grouse, who never told a lie, cause he couldn't think of one to tell." And he blew out his chest so a button flew, and shouted, "And what's more, I should ought to be a full General if I had me rights--and I don't care who knows it!" And he thumped the blotting-paper till it shook.

Then Tiny winked to himself and said inside,

"Hang your rights, Old Roast End!" but outside he said,

"Thank you, Sir. Now I feel a lot better."

And he saluted and went out, meek as a mouse; but directly he got outside he took to his legs and raced across the square, shouting and singing because of Baby and the house where he would keep her for years and years while he trained her how to be a soldier's wife.

And about next day Sir Goodall retired, because he said the Service didn't leave him time enough to roast himself.

And that is about all about Sir Goodall for now.

Then Tiny came upon his toes very merry to the place where the Fellows fed between sleeps.