The Soldier's Wife — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE SOLDiER’S WIFE. 76 put-house. Since the return of the regiment|Each lash is about twenty inches \ong; and to England, he had been promoted to the post;they are made of a cord kiit with a pecul.ar of Sergeant-Major, having previously been unly| compactness in order to render the blows they acting in that capacity to the depot. Very|inflict more stinging, cutting, and mercilessly red, and stately, and pompous was Mr. |effective. Langley now; and very happy and highly} Near the triangle stood a pitcher of water satisfied was he on this particular morning,/and a drinking-cup, so that the victim might because the man whom, on account of his apa! from time to time be 1efreshed, the better to superiority, he hated and detested above all/endure the full amount, or at all events as large others in the world, was about to receive ajan amount as possible, of the satanic punirh- crowning humiliation and a fiendish punish-| ment. ment. The regiment was drawn up in a square, the The moment Sergeant-Major Langley thus|triangle being in the midst,—so that every eye made ].is appearance *.. the ouchouse, the drum-|could command a view of the hideous cere mer-buys, frightened into a bastard kind of|mony. The colonel, the major, and the staff fortitu le, began lashing away at the sack of|officers were upon horseback; the other officers sawdu-t again; and the sergeant stood admiring| were in their accustomed places. Presently them ia silence for a few minutes. Inthe very|the drummers advanced up to the immediate desperation of their feelings the poor youths] vicinage of the triangle, so that by the rolling inflicted the blows with all their might and/of their drums they might as much as possible main,—all the more severely, too, because they|drown the cries of human agony, should the knew that in this experimentalising there was|victim send any forth. Then, everything be- no human flesh palpitating under the scourge. |ing in readiness, Frederick Lonsdale was let “Excellent! capital! famous!” exclaimed Mr. | out from the black-hole, in his undress uniform, Langley, his admiration bursting forth in these} and accompanied by a guard. He walked with ejaculatory epithets. “ Nothing can be better!|a firm step: his countenance was ashy pale— You will do it well! And mind, always try} but in the strongly compressed lip, the sternly and hit again in the same place there is/fixed eyes, and the rigidity of all the mus- nothing like keeping at the same ve \ Don’t;cles of his face, might be read the deeply spare him, my boys, when you con » to the|taken resolution to meet his punishment with point: he is a bad character, and -\s spirit|as much fortitude as possible. Upon reaching must be thrashed out of hun. And. w come|the triangle, his jacket and shirt were stripped along with me.” off him; and he thus appeared naked to the Mr. Langley took the two drumme 3; to the| waist. The flush of shame at being thus ex- eanteen ; and there he made them eaci drink a| posed ix semi-nudity to so many eyes, swept glass of brandy, observing to the keep. of thejover his countenance, which then again imme- military public-house, “These are + .e two/diately relapsed into ghastly pallor. He was brave fellows who are to operate on i-.nsdale|now commanded by Sergeant Langley, who resently. There’s nothing lke a ¢‘ass of |advanced to the spot—his cane in one hand and beandi to put the mettle into ther (ft willla littte memorandum-book in the other—to make them as fierce and hardened a. ‘igers.|stretch himself in such a manner against two And now, my boys, be oif to breaktfast, and| poles of the triangle, with his face inward, that look sharp.” one arm and one leg might be attached to The two drummers issued forth from thejeach. His arms were distended upwards to canteen, exchanging rapid looks of unutterable| their fullest stretch, so as to be high above his horror at the thought of having been com-|head; and then the process of binding imme- pared to a wild beast in respect to the savage| diately commenced. With strong cords was ferocity which they were presently to exercise; he thus fastened at the wrists, the elbows, the i wards a fellow-creature. knees, and the ankles, to the poles; so that being held tight in every limb, and at the prin- —- cipal joints of these limbs, he was powerless , and immoveable—save and» except for the CHAPTER XIX. writhings and convulsions of excruciating agonies. The regimental surgeon now ap- THE FLOGGING. peared upon the scene; and the two drummer- boys who had been selected to inflict the chas- Hanr-an-nour afterwards, the regiment was|tisement, likewise advanced. Their counte drawn up in the barrack-square, in the midst/tiances were very pale; and notwithstanding of which the triangle was erected. his con-|the brandy, they shivered visibly from head to aisted of three poles, about twelve feet in length,|foot. Langley bent upon them a stern ard faste.ed all together at the top, and the other/threatening glance; and again, as when he ap three ends spread out in such a manner that} peared before them in the outhouse, were en the ‘angle became self-supporting. Several|iiterally frightened into a plucking-up of all of th. accursed weapons lay upon the nit te: courage. Lonsdale was firm and rese- wear. We should observe that the cat consists|lute: and thus these poor youths had to exer- of nine lashes fastened to a wooden handle;|cise greater efforts to collect their own forti- and each lash has five hard knots—those at the|tude to inflict the chastisement, than he had ends being tied round with pieces of twine or|to meet it. very strong pack-thread, so as to hold them| ‘ Now then, first drummer-boy!” said Lang- secure and prevent th lashes from unravelling.|ley ‘take up the cat and do your duty:— O Fe Je COME xo.