a chance at the lavatory. There's washing accommodation for six men when sixty want it…. Come on."
As he hurried from the room, Rupert noticed that Corporal Martel lay comfortably in bed while the rest hurriedly dressed. From time to time he mechanically shouted: "Levez-vous, mes enfants…." "Levez-vous, assassins…." "Levez-vous, scélérats…."
After each of his shouts came, in antistrophe, the anxious yell of the garde-chambre (who had to sweep the room before parade) of "Balayez au-dessous vos lits!"
Returning from his hasty and primitive wash, Rupert noticed that the Austrian recruit was lacing Rivoli's boots, while the Apache, grimacing horribly behind his back, brushed the Neapolitan down, Malvin superintending their labours.
"Shove on the white tunic and blue sash," said John Bull to his protégé—"and you'll want knapsack, cartridge-belt, bayonet and rifle…. Bye-bye! I must be off. You'll have recruit-drills separate from us for some time…. See you later…."
§3
Légionnaire Reginald Rupert soon found that French drill methods of training differed but little from English, though perhaps more thorough and systematically progressive, and undoubtedly better calculated to develop initiative.
It did not take the Corporal-Instructor long to single him out as an unusually keen and intelligent recruit, and Rupert was himself surprised at the pleasure he derived from being placed as Number One
