back into its cage with meat or some such?
The lion sniffed the air and looked about once more, seeming to study the commanding officer's party. Then, as if with disdain, it began walking away in the direction of the drilling ground.
'A cool customer,' said Lord Holderness, looking to right and left for some sign of address in the keepers, but seeing none. 'I think we had better go after him, if only to observe what Prall makes of it when the beast comes on his troop!'
F Troop's new captain, recently bought in from the Tenth, was having his dragoons out for the first time on the drilling ground, and Lord Holderness had wished to show his interest, for the troop had not been out in some months, having been doing duties in penny-packets here and there, and the officers largely absent on leave.
Hervey was much taken by Lord Holderness's coolness, not to say amusement at the thought of F Troop's new captain being put to such a test. But he had no reason to suppose the owner of the menagerie kept the lion on short rations; and in any case, had he not read that it was the lioness which hunted, not the male? Deprived of the female's efforts in his favour, however, the male did not simply lie down and starve? Had he not seen somewhere the picture of several males – or lions with manes (perhaps some females were maned?) – leaping onto some other beast to drag it down?
The drilling ground, a mile or so square of heath, lay just the other side of the London Road, masked by a line of elms in full leaf.
As they closed with them, Hervey became anxious: might the lion have taken post in the branches, waiting his moment to pounce? He knew that leopards did – he had seen it for himself in India – and tigers too. 'Have a care, Colonel,' he said, searching the nearest trees as best the leaves allowed him.
'No, he's yonder. See?'
Hervey peered in the direction Lord Holderness pointed.
There indeed, fifty yards away, was the lion, all but concealed in a patch of gorse. 'Perhaps he will discover a thorn in his foot?'
'Well, I for one shall not play Androcles if he does!' declared Lord Holderness, but as composed as before. 'See, he lowers his tail, like a cat before it pounces on a mouse.'
'I hope to God it's not intending to run in on the troop,' said Hervey, wishing he had his telescope.
'Not on the troop, I suspect. Look yonder, to the left, a furlong – one of Prall's videttes. Most tempting to a lion, don't you suppose?'
Hervey saw. 'I'd better tell them.'
'I believe we ought.'
'I think, with respect, Colonel, it would be better if you stood your ground here. If the lion backs . . .'
'I concur.'
Hervey spurred into a trot, taking as indirect a route as he could, keeping to the tree line until he was at the shortest point from the two mounted sentries. He now put his mare into a brisker trot (thinking that any faster pace might encourage the lion to run in at him) and made straight for them.
'So-ho, F Troop!' he called from fifty yards, believing they had not seen his approach.
But another sentry, dismounted, stepped from behind a clump of gorse and raised his hand to challenge. 'Good afternoon, Major Hervey, sir!'
Hervey wore the regimental undress of a major, content to leave his acting rank behind in the colony. 'Doolan, isn't it? How far distant did you observe me?'
'Saw you come out from the trees, sir!' Doolan, being from Liverpool, elongated the 'sir' (which he pronounced 'sair') more than any man in the Sixth.
'And do you perceive anything else?'
'Sir?'
'Look yonder,' (he pointed) 'two hundred yards, standing by itself, a large bush of gorse. D'ye see?'
'Sir.'
'The other side of it, there crouches a lion.'
'Sir.' Doolan had experience of such schemes. He knew it was his duty to relay whatever information an officer gave him. And then the officer would judge the address with which the corporal acted in response. It mattered not that the information was preposterous.
'No, Doolan: it is no play. There is a lion escaped and it has taken refuge on the drilling ground. Go tell Captain Prall at once. My compliments, and ask him to form line to try to turn the creature back should it try to go further onto the common. The picket has been sent for, with carbines, and the colonel is in the field.'
'Sir!'
Hervey acknowledged the salute, reined about and put his mare for the trees again. Doolan might be a delinquent (if only of a pay night), but he knew him to be sharp enough to alert the Troop.
By the time he got back to Lord Holderness the picket was coming up. 'F Troop will form line to back him if he tries to go further, Colonel. Is there any sign of a keeper?'
Lord Holderness nodded in the direction of the road.
Hervey saw two men folding a net, and another with a noose on a pole about twenty feet long.
'They say the beast's harmless enough. Tame, almost. He's been sitting by yonder bush since you left.'
'What would you have me do now, Colonel?'
