my batman to use his wits; if a less preposterous
table does not exist in the barracks, then to-morrow
he must go out and buy one, and a pair of heavy serge
curtains as well—-a draught down the neck is very
unpleasant. I am busy, I cannot attend to such things,
they are part of the duties that devolve on my batman.
Now about my two horses: it will be for my groom to
watch over them in his officer's interest; the least
sign of a" cough due to dust in the corn, or a poor
appetite due to stale, musty hay, and my groom must
report to me on the instant. I shall also want you to
have your own buckets and to keep them locked up in
your stable cupboard; colds are frequently very
infectious things, there is also the danger of influenza.
No beasts are to drink from those buckets but my
own.'
'Entendu, mon Colonel/ replied Christophe.
Prevost stared at the pair with speculative eyes.
He was thinking: 'Quite tidy, quite clean and well
shaved. Their nails not too terrible, all things
considered. I incline to believe that they both
brush their teeth. The one educated, the other
a peasant. The one very handsome, the other . . . 5
his thoughts paused in search of an adjective, cthe
other impressive; peculiar eyes though, decidedly
queer, might do almost any damn thing with those
eyes —my demented aunt Violette would probably
say: "psychic.55 But the Adjutant tells me good hands
on a horse — trouble is that he looks to me pretty
heavy.5 Aloud he said: 'Eh bien, I think that is all.5
Then he suddenly smiled: CI have an idea that we
three will become very excellent friends.5
And this was a way that he had with the men, he
would treat them as though they were equals, at times,
but God help anyone who presumed — no one ever
presumed more than once with Colonel Prevost.
FF 449