"You speak French? Fluently? Let's see," and the general changed the
conversation to that language. "That's all right. What else? Italian?
German? Russian?--"
"Yes, sir, Russian."
"You ought to be very useful to us. But you will have to work hard,
Mr. McKay, very hard. There are no drones here."
McKay soon found that out. From daybreak to midnight everyone at
headquarters slaved incessantly. Horses stood ready saddled in the
stables, and officers came and went at all hours. Men needed to
possess iron constitution and indomitable energy to meet the demands
upon their strength.
"Lord Raglan wants somebody to go at once to Kamiesch," said General Airey,
coming out one morning to the room in which his staff-assistants worked and
waited for special instructions. There was no one there but McKay, and he
had that instant returned from Balaclava. "Have you been out this morning,
Mr. McKay? Yes? Well, it can't be helped; you must go again."
"I am only too ready, sir."
"That's right. Lord Raglan does not spare himself, neither must you."
"I know, sir. How disgraceful it is that he should be attacked by the
London newspapers and accused of doing nothing at all!"
"Yes, indeed! Why, he was writing by candle-light at six o'clock this
morning, and after breakfast he saw us all, the heads of departments
and three divisional generals.
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