thirteen
Englishmen—for the next five years at least. Preserved meat, ale,
brandy—all were in abundance; consequently, as the men expressed it,
they were in this respect "all right."
Of course, the physical changes that had taken place had attracted the
notice both of officers and men. But the reversed position of east and
west, the diminution of the force of gravity, the altered rotation of
the earth, and her projection upon a new orbit, were all things that
gave them little concern and no uneasiness; and when the colonel and the
major had replaced the pieces on the board which had been disturbed
by the convulsion, any surprise they might have felt at the chess-men
losing some portion of their weight was quite forgotten in the
satisfaction of seeing them retain their equilibrium.
One phenomenon, however, did not fail to make its due impression upon
the men; this was the diminution in the length of day and night. Three
days after the catastrophe, Corporal Pim, on behalf of himself and his
comrades, solicited a formal interview with the officers. The request
having been granted, Pim, with the nine soldiers, all punctiliously
wearing the regimental tunic of scarlet and trousers of invisible green,
presented themselves at the door of the colonel's room, where he and
his brother-officer were continuing their game. Raising his hand
respectfully to his cap, which he wore poised jauntily over his right
ear, and scarcely held on by the strap below his under lip, the corporal
waited permission to speak.
After a lingering survey of the chess-board, the colonel slowly lifted
his eyes, and said with official dignity, "Well, men, what is it?"
"First of all, sir," replied the corporal, "we want to speak to you
about our pay, and then we wish to have a word with the major about our
rations."
"Say on, then," said Colonel Murphy. "What is it about your pay?"
"Just this, sir; as the days are only half as long as they were, we
should like to know whether our pay is to be diminished in proportion."
The colonel was taken somewhat aback, and did not reply immediately,
though by some significant nods towards the major, he indicated that he
thought the question very reasonable. After a few moments' reflection,
he replied, "It must, I think, be allowed that your pay was calculated
from sunrise to sunrise; there was no specification of what the interval
should be. Your pay will continue as before. England can afford it."
A buzz of approval burst involuntarily from all the men, but military
discipline and the respect due to their officers kept them in check from
any boisterous demonstration of their satisfaction.
"And now, corporal, what is your business with me?" asked Major
Oliphant.
"We want to know whether, as the days are only six hours long, we are to
have but two meals instead of four?"
The officers looked at each other, and by their glances agreed that the
corporal was a man of sound common sense.
"Eccentricities of nature," said the major, "cannot interfere with
military regulations. It is true that there will be but an interval of
an hour and a half between them, but the rule stands good—four meals
a day. England is too rich to grudge her soldiers any of her soldiers'
due. Yes; four meals a day."
"Hurrah!" shouted the soldiers, unable this time to keep their delight
within the bounds of military decorum; and, turning to the right-about,
they marched away, leaving the officers to renew the all-absorbing game.
However confident everyone upon the island might profess to be that
succor would be sent them from their native land—for Britain never
abandons any of her sons—it could not be disguised that that succor
was somewhat tardy in making its appearance. Many and various were the
conjectures to account for the delay. Perhaps England was engrossed
with domestic matters, or perhaps she was absorbed in diplomatic
difficulties; or perchance, more likely than all, Northern Europe had
received no tidings of the convulsion that
Englishmen—for the next five years at least. Preserved meat, ale,
brandy—all were in abundance; consequently, as the men expressed it,
they were in this respect "all right."
Of course, the physical changes that had taken place had attracted the
notice both of officers and men. But the reversed position of east and
west, the diminution of the force of gravity, the altered rotation of
the earth, and her projection upon a new orbit, were all things that
gave them little concern and no uneasiness; and when the colonel and the
major had replaced the pieces on the board which had been disturbed
by the convulsion, any surprise they might have felt at the chess-men
losing some portion of their weight was quite forgotten in the
satisfaction of seeing them retain their equilibrium.
One phenomenon, however, did not fail to make its due impression upon
the men; this was the diminution in the length of day and night. Three
days after the catastrophe, Corporal Pim, on behalf of himself and his
comrades, solicited a formal interview with the officers. The request
having been granted, Pim, with the nine soldiers, all punctiliously
wearing the regimental tunic of scarlet and trousers of invisible green,
presented themselves at the door of the colonel's room, where he and
his brother-officer were continuing their game. Raising his hand
respectfully to his cap, which he wore poised jauntily over his right
ear, and scarcely held on by the strap below his under lip, the corporal
waited permission to speak.
After a lingering survey of the chess-board, the colonel slowly lifted
his eyes, and said with official dignity, "Well, men, what is it?"
"First of all, sir," replied the corporal, "we want to speak to you
about our pay, and then we wish to have a word with the major about our
rations."
"Say on, then," said Colonel Murphy. "What is it about your pay?"
"Just this, sir; as the days are only half as long as they were, we
should like to know whether our pay is to be diminished in proportion."
The colonel was taken somewhat aback, and did not reply immediately,
though by some significant nods towards the major, he indicated that he
thought the question very reasonable. After a few moments' reflection,
he replied, "It must, I think, be allowed that your pay was calculated
from sunrise to sunrise; there was no specification of what the interval
should be. Your pay will continue as before. England can afford it."
A buzz of approval burst involuntarily from all the men, but military
discipline and the respect due to their officers kept them in check from
any boisterous demonstration of their satisfaction.
"And now, corporal, what is your business with me?" asked Major
Oliphant.
"We want to know whether, as the days are only six hours long, we are to
have but two meals instead of four?"
The officers looked at each other, and by their glances agreed that the
corporal was a man of sound common sense.
"Eccentricities of nature," said the major, "cannot interfere with
military regulations. It is true that there will be but an interval of
an hour and a half between them, but the rule stands good—four meals
a day. England is too rich to grudge her soldiers any of her soldiers'
due. Yes; four meals a day."
"Hurrah!" shouted the soldiers, unable this time to keep their delight
within the bounds of military decorum; and, turning to the right-about,
they marched away, leaving the officers to renew the all-absorbing game.
However confident everyone upon the island might profess to be that
succor would be sent them from their native land—for Britain never
abandons any of her sons—it could not be disguised that that succor
was somewhat tardy in making its appearance. Many and various were the
conjectures to account for the delay. Perhaps England was engrossed
with domestic matters, or perhaps she was absorbed in diplomatic
difficulties; or perchance, more likely than all, Northern Europe had
received no tidings of the convulsion that
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