The Gentleman Cadet Part 9

"May I ask who taught you your Euclid?" inquired the examiner.

"Mr Rouse, sir."

I could not distinctly hear what was said by the examiner to the officers, but the words "that accounts" and "utterly opposed to cramming" were audible.

A brief examination in drawing, in Latin, French, and German, and a paper in history and geography, completed the examination; and I returned with Mr Rouse to London, and on the following day started by coach for home.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Pa.s.sED.

It was usually four or five days before the result of the examination became known, and another day for a letter to reach us in Hampshire, so that I fairly calculated a week would pa.s.s before I should know my fate.

The excitement of the examination, which had kept me up during the past few days, now left me, and a feeling of despondency, caused probably by reaction, came over me. My cough returned, and a low fever came on, which kept me to my bed. Say what I would, I could not help being most anxious about the result of my examination. My nights were sleepless, and each morning, as the time arrived for the postman to come, I could scarcely keep in bed, as I listened to every sound in the hope of hearing that my suspense was ended.

It was on the eighth day after my return home that, on the arrival of the postman, I heard anxious voices downstairs; a minute's silence, and then a rush of feet. My two sisters hurried into my room, carrying a large letter, and exclaimed,--

"Bob, you've pa.s.sed; and have done well, too! Listen to this:--

"'Sir,--I have the honour to inform you that at the late examination at Woolwich, your son, Robert Shepard, was found fully qualified for admission to the Royal Military Academy. I am directed to request that he will join that inst.i.tution on the 1st proximo, and report himself to the Captain of the Cadet Company.

"'I have the honour to be, (signature)'

"Some one whose name I can't read," said my sister.

"Bravo, Bob! isn't this capital? I knew you'd pa.s.s?"

Six months previously, if any prophet had informed me that I should pa.s.s my examination and become a gentleman cadet, I should have fancied that such a result would have caused me to shout with joy, and to be quite overcome with delight; now, however, that I had pa.s.sed, and the intelligence had arrived, so as to place the result beyond a doubt, I was myself surprised at the little effect that was produced on me.

Although I did not like to give way to any sanguine hopes, still, when the examination was over, I felt tolerably certain I had done well. The examination had been what may be called a lucky one for me. The questions were such as I had been practising for days previous to the examination, and were consequently easy to me. My success, therefore, was not entirely a surprise to me, and I saw clearly the means by which I had gained success. At Hostler's, as soon as a boy came out of school, he tried to forget all about work, and his problems, therefore, made but a small impression on him. At Rouse's, however, the hours of study were so brief by comparison, and reason so completely took the place of cramming, that the mind was not worn out when the evening came, and I often found myself deliberating about a problem as I took a const.i.tutional round the Square gardens. I now knew that the hours of quiet thought I had given to various subjects had enabled me to pa.s.s the examination, which to a crammed boy was so very difficult.

When I thought of Mr Hostler, his boys, and his prophecies about the impossibility of my pa.s.sing, I felt a feeling of intense satisfaction, for I believed, in my innocence, that Hostler would own he had made a mistake. I little imagined then that a man of his type of character never owns to a mistake, but invariably claims some merit to himself, even out of his blunders. I afterwards ascertained that Mr Hostler claimed the entire merit of my pa.s.sing, in consequence, as he said, of the thoroughly sound groundwork he had given me at his school, thus enabling Mr Rouse to give a little superficial polish on it.

I continued so weak, and my cough was so bad, that it was considered advisable to apply for sick-leave for me, which was granted, and I remained at home for seven weeks. Howard had been removed to Ireland, so I saw nothing of him, a fact I much regretted, as I hoped to gain from him some hints relative to my course at the Academy, a subject on which I was very anxious; for I had heard various rumours, when at Rouse's, of the "f.a.gging" and "bullying," as it was termed, carried on by the older cadets on their juniors.

At length the day arrived when I reached Woolwich with my father, and presented myself at the office of the Captain of the Cadet Company, where I signed a paper to the effect that I was amenable to certain laws, was appointed to a room, and then left to commence my experiences as a gentleman cadet at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

WOOLWICH ACADEMY FORTY YEARS AGO--EXPERIENCE OF A LAST-JOINED.

Of all the reformations which have taken place during the past thirty-five years in various establishments, none have been greater than that which has occurred at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. In the days of which we write f.a.gging was an almost recognised inst.i.tution, and this so-called f.a.gging in the majority of instances degenerated into bullying. It may seem hard to say it, but we feel compelled to a.s.sert our belief that, in the majority of cases, when boys of from fifteen to eighteen have unlimited power entrusted to them they usually become tyrants. What may be termed "the exercise of power" grows more and more severe until it becomes a vice. Boys as a rule are unreflecting, and they are not aware, and scarcely care if they are aware, of the misery or pain they inflict. When, too, a boy in his younger days has been bullied and ill-used, he considers it a point of duty to do unto others as was done unto him, and often this retaliation was pa.s.sed on with interest. In those days it was considered, too, that f.a.gging to a certain extent aided discipline, and also tended to do away with brute force; for the smallest cadet, if an old cadet, might f.a.g or kick at pleasure a last-joined giant. According to the nature of an old cadet, so did his f.a.g, or "neux," as he was termed, lead a miserable or a tolerably comfortable life; and often the trial through which a last-joined cadet had to pa.s.s was so severe that, rather than pa.s.s through it, he left the inst.i.tution. To such an extent did the bullying extend in some inst.i.tutions at the date to which we refer that it is stated, and on good authority, that a boy was once roasted by his seniors to such an extent that he died from his exposure to the fire, whilst there are men now living who bear on their bodies the scars received by them when f.a.gs. That such a system has been done away with is a necessity of the age. That there were and are advantages in teaching lads that brute force is not the only power, and that discipline is an essential of society, is not to be denied; but the disadvantages of entrusting to boys of from fifteen to seventeen such power over their juniors as was given by the f.a.gging system formerly, either recognised or winked at by the authorities at Woolwich, is a mistake, and it is a subject of congratulation that at the present time even f.a.gging is discountenanced with a strong hand.

Having reached the Academy at an early hour, I ascertained that the cadets were then in study, or, as it was termed, "in academy." I was shown to the room to which I was posted, and was shown a bed, which was to be mine. There were four beds in the room, these beds being turned up so as to occupy little or no s.p.a.ce. There was one window, which had laced iron bars across it, like a prison window, whilst four cupboards were opposite the fireplace. I was told that in half an hour the cadets would come out of study, when I should see Holms, who was head of the room, and a corporal.

I waited with considerable anxiety for this half-hour to pa.s.s, and amused myself in the meantime in noting how scanty the furniture of the room was, which consisted of a table, on which was a red cloth, and four stools. The floor was sanded, and of course had no carpet, and no other article of furniture except a small rectangular looking-gla.s.s was visible.

I turned over in my mind how I should introduce myself to Holms when he came in, and at length decided I would say, "Mr Holms, I believe! I am Shepard, appointed to your room."

Having waited a period that seemed quite an hour, I heard a bell ring, and saw about one hundred and fifty cadets run quickly out from the centre building and form into four divisions. These four divisions remained stationary until an officer went on parade, who, having read out something from a paper, gave some word of command, and the four divisions marched off, two in one direction, two in another.

One division pa.s.sed the window where I was standing, but the other was dismissed at the door by which I had entered, and instantly there was the rush of feet as the whole party came into the building I was occupying. The door of my room opened, and a dark, good-looking cadet came in, and, seeing me, said,--

"Hullo! who are you?"

"Mr Holms, I believe?" I said in as polite a tone as I could. "I am Shepard, appointed to your room."

The cadet I addressed looked at me very hard, and then burst out laughing.

"You are rather green, I fancy," he said, "and you look deuced seedy.

What's the matter?"

"I have only just recovered from the hooping-cough," I replied; "that's why I didn't join before."

"Well, you must take care of yourself," said Holms, "for you're not well now."

Another cadet now rushed into the room, to whose appearance I at once took a dislike. He had a conceited look about him, and a pale, drawn face, very different from that of Holms.

"Hurrah!" he said, "the neux has come at last! Here, Timpson, come and look at the last-joined neux! He doesn't look much of a fellow, does he?"

A third cadet here joined us, who was a hard-looking youth, who frowned and looked crossly at me.

"He wants teaching manners," said the cadet called Timpson. "What do you mean, sir, by looking at me like that? Take that!"

To my surprise and discomfiture, I received a heavy box on the ear which nearly knocked me down. I turned round, and for an instant I thought of returning the blow; but I recalled to mind that I had heard of a neux being all but killed who had struck on old cadet, and, instantly recollecting myself, I said,--

"I did nothing to deserve such a blow as that."

"You're cheeky, are you?" said Timpson. "Take that for your cheek!" and another blow was given me as severe as the first.

"Come, Timpson," said Holms, "you are not going to bully my neux already. He's seedy, and so let him alone. Brush your hair and wash your face, for you must go on parade in ten minutes."

I was half-crying now, as I was considerably hurt by the blows Timpson had given me, and stood hesitating what to do.

"Here, brush me!" said the cadet whose name I found was Snipson.

I took up a brush and brushed Snipson, but did this by no means to his satisfaction.

"You've a deal to learn, sir," he said; "why, you don't even know how to brush one! Give me the brush!"

I gave Snipson the brush, upon which he said, "Turn round!" I turned round, thinking he was going to brush my back, and perhaps give me a hint as to using the brush. Suddenly, however, he rubbed the brush over my mouth and nose, whilst he seized me by the back of the neck, so as to hold me firmly and prevent my escape. The pain of this proceeding was so great that I called "Oh, don't!" which brought forth a shout of laughter from Snipson. Holms, however, who was brushing his hair, here interfered and said, "Snipson, I'll lick you if you don't let my neux alone!"

"He's mine as much as yours!" replied Snipson.

"I'm head of the room, and I won't have this bullying," replied Holms; "so look out!"

A bugle now sounded, which caused both Holms and Snipson to hurry on their belts and prepare for parade, for this bugle was "the warning"