148 The Course, the Camp, the Chase 



After the severe lesson he had received, and deprived 

 of the companionship of Brown, Private Thomas became a 

 steady, respectable soldier, and eventually a lance-corporal. 

 He accompanied us to the Ashanti War, but I do not 

 remember further details of his career. 



The French proverb that " it is ridicule that kills " 

 should ever be borne in mind by an adjutant, for often 

 some ludicrous punishment will be far more effectual than 

 constant parading again, drill, or confinement to barracks. 

 This last punishment is useful, however, for one particular 

 offence, that of cutting off a moustache, which is sometimes 

 done for " cheek." The obvious way to meet this is to 

 confine the man to barracks until the moustache is grown 

 again. For spitting in the ranks on parade, I always had 

 one remedy. As soon as the parade was over, the 

 offender was marched to the guard-room, placed under 

 the charge of the sergeant of the guard, told to stand at 

 ease, and ordered to spit for five minutes by the watch. 

 He came in for much rude chaff from the men, who 

 thought it a capital opportunity to exercise their wit upon 

 him, but it was curious what a deterrent effect it had. If 

 two men were caught talking when at " Attention," they 

 were similarly taken to the sergeant of the guard, march- 

 ing side by side. They were then halted, ordered to turn 

 inwards, so that their faces were almost touching each 

 other, told to stand-at-ease, and then commanded to talk 

 for a quarter of an hour. They were not allowed to change 

 their position in any way, and what they said would pro- 

 bably not be worth repeating! but the punishment was 

 very effectual. If a man was brought up for not saluting 

 an officer, it availed him nothing to plead that he did not 

 know him by sight ; his punishment was to be placed over 



