Soldier of the Horse Read Online Free PDF

the parade square. Explain to him, while he doubles for ten minutes, that he must address officers as ‘sir.’”
    The corporal jumped to his feet. “Yes, sir!”
    Tom wondered if the penitentiary might have been a better option.
    Inkmann went back into his office and shut the door. The corporal sat and processed the next set of documents, the thick sandwich of paper and carbons grinding through his typewriter as he hammered on the keys. When Johanson and Ferguson were sworn in, they addressed Inkmann as “sir.”
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    Uniforms were issued. The corporal sent Johanson and Ferguson off to barracks, and marched Tom to the parade square. It was at least as long as a football field, and those hundred yards witnessed his inauguration into all things military. He learned that “double” meant “run”, that new army boots were painful to run in, and that corporals did not like to do extra work in order to punish enlisted men. Corporal Baker took out his pique on Tom. When he was finally dismissed he had blisters on both feet, and he limped off to barracks.
    Next morning Tom was one of thirty men fallen in on the parade square where, standing at attention in three ranks, they were yelled at by Corporal Baker and an enthusiastic henchman with one chevron on his arms—a lance-corporal, Tom had learned. The mysteries of standing at attention, standing at ease, stepping off with the left foot, turning and wheeling were drummed into the recruits.
    After an hour of this they were dismissed and ordered to gather around a sergeant who stood at one end of the square, watching. He was a tall, angular man with a scarred face who looked as though he had been through the wars. The campaign ribbons on his tunic removed all doubt.
    â€œHas to be regular army,” Ferguson, the ex-Mountie, muttered in his Scottish burr.
    The sergeant’s glare quieted the men in a hurry. “My name is Quartermain. I will be in charge of you while you are here in Winnipeg Depot. You have all volunteered for the army, and the army will make use of you. You will go overseas within weeks. You have a lot to learn. From now on you will be known as the 1st Reinforcement. You will join my regiment, Lord Strathcona’s Horse, as fast as I can get you there. You can consider yourselves lucky to be posted to the army’s top cavalry unit. Any questions?”
    Hell, Tom thought. Now that he looked more closely, he saw that Quartermain wore spurs on his boots. On reflection, there had been a lot of horses and horsemen at the barracks, but it had never occurred to him he’d be in the cavalry.
    When Tom was a boy, his mother had a small gelding called Charlie. She would have Tom’s father hitch Charlie to her buggy so she could do her errands and take the kids for rides to town. Charlie was spoiled and hard to handle.
    Once, when Tom was twelve, he was sent to the pasture to catch Charlie. Charlie didn’t want to be caught and kept turning away, presenting his fat rump so Tom couldn’t get a rope on him. Annoyed, Tom had grabbed Charlie’s tail and given him a smack with the coiled rope. The horse promptly kicked Tom in the face with both hind hoofs. He never went near another horse without thinking about his broken nose and loosened teeth.
    Sergeant Quartermain dismissed the men. Tom was still thinking about his broken nose and hurried off to talk to Corporal Baker in the orderly room.
    â€œWhat do you mean, you don’t want to ride horses? You’re in the bloody cavalry, soldier,” Baker bellowed at Tom, who stood at attention.
    â€œWell, Corporal, couldn’t I have some sort of different job, one where I don’t have to ride?”
    â€œSure, Macrae. The army exists just so guys like you get to do whatever you want. But don’t worry. If you can’t ride, the sergeant will see you get sent to the infantry. All you have to do is fall off