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One Of The Six Hundred
A classic by James Grant following one of the men who participated in The Charge Of The Light Brigade.
CHAPTER I.
To be handsome, young, and twenty-two,
With nothing else on earth to do;
But all day long to bill and coo,
It were a pleasant calling.
—THACKERAY.
I was just in the act of humming the above verse, when the following announcement was put into my hand—
"Regimental Orders.—Head-quarters, Maidstone, December 31st.
"As the regiment is to be held in readiness for foreign service in spring, captains of troops will report to Lieutenant and Adjutant Studhome, for the information of the commanding officer, on the state of the saddlery, the holsters and lance-buckets; and the horses must be all re-shod under the immediate inspection of the veterinary surgeon and Farrier-Sergeant Snaffles.
"Leave of absence to the 31st proximo is granted to Lieutenant Newton Calderwood Norcliff, in consequence of his urgent private affairs."
"Hah! this is what most concerns me," I exclaimed, as I read the foregoing, and then handed the order-book, a squat vellum-bound quarto, to the orderly-serjeant who was in waiting.
"Any idea of where we are likely to go, sir?" he asked.
"The East, of course."
"So say the men in the barracks; for the present, good-bye, sir," said he, as he wheeled about on his spurred heel, and saluted; "I wish you a pleasant journey."
"Thanks, Stapylton," said I; "and now to be off by the night train for London and the north. Ugh! the last night of December; I shall have a cold journey of it."
CHAPTER I.
To be handsome, young, and twenty-two,
With nothing else on earth to do;
But all day long to bill and coo,
It were a pleasant calling.
—THACKERAY.
I was just in the act of humming the above verse, when the following announcement was put into my hand—
"Regimental Orders.—Head-quarters, Maidstone, December 31st.
"As the regiment is to be held in readiness for foreign service in spring, captains of troops will report to Lieutenant and Adjutant Studhome, for the information of the commanding officer, on the state of the saddlery, the holsters and lance-buckets; and the horses must be all re-shod under the immediate inspection of the veterinary surgeon and Farrier-Sergeant Snaffles.
"Leave of absence to the 31st proximo is granted to Lieutenant Newton Calderwood Norcliff, in consequence of his urgent private affairs."
"Hah! this is what most concerns me," I exclaimed, as I read the foregoing, and then handed the order-book, a squat vellum-bound quarto, to the orderly-serjeant who was in waiting.
"Any idea of where we are likely to go, sir?" he asked.
"The East, of course."
"So say the men in the barracks; for the present, good-bye, sir," said he, as he wheeled about on his spurred heel, and saluted; "I wish you a pleasant journey."
"Thanks, Stapylton," said I; "and now to be off by the night train for London and the north. Ugh! the last night of December; I shall have a cold journey of it."
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1875
3 people want to read
About the author
James Grant
1,268 books60 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
James Grant was a Scottish novelist, who wrote fifty-six novels. A quick succession of incidents, much vivacity of style, and a dialogue that seldom flags characterise all of them. Those dealing with Scottish history embody considerable research, are vigorous and picturesque in style, and express much sympathy with the reckless daring, loyalty, and manliness of Scots and Border heroes. A charge of plagiarism has been brought against Grant owing to his having incorporated without acknowledgment a good many descriptive passages from a book of travels and campaigning in one of his novels. Grant, however, does not seem to have exceeded the license justly allowed a novelist of appropriating local colour for his fictions from graver writers (Athenæum, 9 Jan. 1875).
Grant wrote much and well on history, especially the history of his native land. The following are his works in this department of literature: 1. ‘Memoirs and Adventures of Sir W. Kirkaldy of Grange,’ 1849. 2. ‘Memorials of the Castle of Edinburgh,’ 1850. 3. ‘Memoirs and Adventures of Sir J. Hepburn,’ 1851. 4. ‘Memoirs of Montrose,’ 1858. 5. ‘The Cavaliers of Fortune, or British Heroes in Foreign Wars,’ 1859; reissued with title reversed, 1873. 6. ‘British Battles on Land and Sea,’ 1873; followed in 1884 by ‘Recent British Battles on Land and Sea.’ 7. ‘Illustrated History of India,’ 1876. 8. ‘Old and New Edinburgh,’ 1880; of this book over thirty thousand copies were sold in the United States. 9. ‘History of the War in the Soudan,’ 1885-6. 10. ‘The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland,’ 1886. 11. ‘Scottish Soldiers of Fortune,’ 1889 (posthumous).
James Grant was a Scottish novelist, who wrote fifty-six novels. A quick succession of incidents, much vivacity of style, and a dialogue that seldom flags characterise all of them. Those dealing with Scottish history embody considerable research, are vigorous and picturesque in style, and express much sympathy with the reckless daring, loyalty, and manliness of Scots and Border heroes. A charge of plagiarism has been brought against Grant owing to his having incorporated without acknowledgment a good many descriptive passages from a book of travels and campaigning in one of his novels. Grant, however, does not seem to have exceeded the license justly allowed a novelist of appropriating local colour for his fictions from graver writers (Athenæum, 9 Jan. 1875).
Grant wrote much and well on history, especially the history of his native land. The following are his works in this department of literature: 1. ‘Memoirs and Adventures of Sir W. Kirkaldy of Grange,’ 1849. 2. ‘Memorials of the Castle of Edinburgh,’ 1850. 3. ‘Memoirs and Adventures of Sir J. Hepburn,’ 1851. 4. ‘Memoirs of Montrose,’ 1858. 5. ‘The Cavaliers of Fortune, or British Heroes in Foreign Wars,’ 1859; reissued with title reversed, 1873. 6. ‘British Battles on Land and Sea,’ 1873; followed in 1884 by ‘Recent British Battles on Land and Sea.’ 7. ‘Illustrated History of India,’ 1876. 8. ‘Old and New Edinburgh,’ 1880; of this book over thirty thousand copies were sold in the United States. 9. ‘History of the War in the Soudan,’ 1885-6. 10. ‘The Tartans of the Clans of Scotland,’ 1886. 11. ‘Scottish Soldiers of Fortune,’ 1889 (posthumous).
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