Then the Colonel ordered us over the jumps in half sections, and at the order each half section started away on the half-mile course--walk, trot, canter, jump, steady down to trot, canter, jump--_e da capo_ right round about a dozen jumps, each one over a different kind of obstacle, each half section watched far more critically perhaps by the rest of the troop than by the officers. My own mount was a bay mare which I’d ridden half a dozen times. When she liked she could jump anything. Sometimes she didn’t like.
This day I was taking no chances and drove home both spurs at the first jump. My other half section was a lance-corporal. His horse was slow, preferring to consider each jump before it took it.
Between jumps, without moving our heads and looking straight in front of us, we gave each other advice and encouragement.
Said he, “Not so perishin’ fast. Keep dressed, can’t you.”
Said I, “Wake your old blighter up! What’ve you got spurs on for?--Hup! Over. Steady, man, steady.”
Said he, “Nar, then, like as we are. Knee to knee. Let’s show ’em what the perishin’ Kitchener’s mob perishin’ well _can_ do.” And without a refusal we got round and halted in our places.
When we’d all been round, the Colonel with a faint smile on his face, requested the sergeant-major to take us round as a troop--sixteen lancers knee to knee in the front rank and the same number behind.
It happened that I was the centre of the front rank--technically known as centre guide--whose job it was to keep four yards from the tail of the troop leader and on whom the rest of the front rank “dressed.”
When we were well away from the officers and about to canter at the first jump the sergeant-major’s head turned over his shoulder.
“Oh, _you_’re centre guide, Gibbs, are you! Well, you keep your distance proper, that’s all, and by Christ, if you refuse----”
I don’t know what fate he had in store for me had I missed a jump but there I was with a knee on either side jammed painfully hard against mine as we came to the first jump. It was the man on either flank of the troop who had the most difficult job. The jumps were only just wide enough and they had to keep their horses from swinging wide of the wings. It went magnificently. Sixteen horses as one in both ranks rose to every jump, settled down and dressed after each and went round the course without a hitch, refusal or fall, and at last we sat at attention facing the Colonel, awaiting the verdict which would either send us back for further training, or out to--what? Death, glory, or maiming?