Thus the Royal Picts benefited by the astute promptitude of
long-headed Sergeant Hyde. He was acting as quartermaster, and as such
had been left behind in camp, although sorely against his will, when
the rest of the regiment went out to fight. But he had heard the long,
well-sustained roll of musketry-fire, and it satisfied one not new to
war that a very close contest had begun.
"They'll soon fire away their cartridges at this rate," he said to
himself. "If I could only get the ammunition-reserves up to them! I'll
do it." And on his own responsibility he laid hands on all the beasts
in camp: spare chargers, officers' ponies, and other animals, and
quickly loaded them with the cartridge-boxes. Then, leading the
cavalcade, he hurried to the front, asking as he went for the Royal
Picts.
He found his regiment in the Sandbag Battery, and they received him,
so soon as his errand was known, with a wild cheer.
"Excellently done!" cried Colonel Blythe. "You have a good head on
your shoulders, Hyde: ammunition was the one thing we needed."
"Yes," shouted a brawny soldier, "we were just killed for want of
cartridges."
"And want of food," grumbled another; "sorra bite nor sup since
yesterday."
"Sergeant darling," said a third, "won't you sound the
breakfast-bugle? Fighting on an empty stomach is but a poor pastime.
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