* * * * *

It must be quarter of an hour since he had rapped on the mortuary door and sent his messages of prohibition to mouse, rat, bandicoot, civet-cat, wild-cat or other vermin intruder through the roof-ventilation holes.  He would knock again.  A strange thing this—­knocking at a dead man’s door in the middle of the night.  Suppose the dead man called “Come in!” It would be intensely interesting, but in no wise terrifying or horrible.  Presumably poor young Trooper Priddell was no more dangerous or dreadful in the spirit than he had been in the flesh....  Fortunate young man!  Were he only on sentry-go outside the peaceful mortuary and Damocles de Warrenne stretched on the bier within, to await the morrow and its pomp and ceremony, when the carcass of the dead soldier would receive honours never paid to the living, sentient man, be he never so worthy, heroic, virtuous and deserving.  Oh, to be lying in there at rest, to be on the other side of that closed door at peace!...

To-morrow that poor dead yokel’s body would receive a “Present Arms” (as though he were an armed party commanded by an Officer) from the Guard, which the sentry would turn out as the coffin passed the Guard-room.  For the first and last time in his life, he would get a “Present Arms”.  It wouldn’t be in his life though.  For the first and last time in his death?  That didn’t sound right either.  Anyhow he would get it, and lots of strange, inexplicable, origin-forgotten rites would be observed over this piece of clay—­hitherto so cheaply held and roughly treated.

Queer!  As “Trooper Priddell” he was of no account.  As a piece of fast-decaying carrion he would be the centre of a piece of elaborate ceremonial!  His troop would parade in full dress and (save for a firing-party of twelve who would carry carbines) without arms.  A special black horse would be decked out with a pall of black velvet and black plumes.  Across this horse the spurred jackboots of the dead man would be slung with toes pointing to the rear.  Two men, wearing black cloaks, would lead the horse by means of new handkerchiefs passed through the bridoon rings of its bridle, handkerchiefs which would become their perquisites and memento mori.

With crape-draped drums, the band, in silence, would lead the troop to the mortuary where would await it a gun-carriage with its six horses and coffin-supporting attachment.  Here the troop would break ranks, file into the mortuary and bare-headed take, each man, his last look at the face of the dead as he lay in his coffin.  The lid would then be screwed on, the troop would form a double line, facing inward, the firing-party would “present arms,” and six of the dead man’s more particular pals, or of his “townies,” would bear the coffin out and place it upon the gun-carriage.  It would then be covered with a Union Jack and on it would be placed the helmet, sword, and carbine of the deceased trooper, the firing-party standing meanwhile, leaning on their reversed carbines, with bowed heads.