Shakespeare says something about worms, or it may be giants or beetles, turning if you tread on them too severely.  The safest plan is never to tread on a worm—­not even on the last new subaltern from Home, with his buttons hardly out of their tissue paper, and the red of sappy English beef in his cheeks.  This is the story of the worm that turned.  For the sake of brevity, we will call Henry Augustus Ramsay Faizanne, “The Worm,” although he really was an exceedingly pretty boy, without a hair on his face, and with a waist like a girl’s, when he came out to the Second “Shikarris” and was made unhappy in several ways.  The “Shikarris” are a high-caste regiment, and you must be able to do things well—­play a banjo, or ride more than little, or sing, or act—­to get on with them.

The Worm did nothing except fall off his pony, and knock chips out of gate posts with his trap.  Even that became monotonous after a time.  He objected to whist, cut the cloth at billiards, sang out of tune, kept very much to himself, and wrote to his Mamma and sisters at Home.  Four of these five things were vices which the “Shikarris” objected to and set themselves to eradicate.  Everyone knows how subalterns are, by brother subalterns, softened and not permitted to be ferocious.  It is good and wholesome, and does no one any harm, unless tempers are lost; and then there is trouble.  There was a man once—­but that is another story.

The “Shikarris” shikarred The Worm very much, and he bore everything without winking.  He was so good and so anxious to learn, and flushed so pink, that his education was cut short, and he was left to his own devices by everyone except the Senior Subaltern who continued to make life a burden to The Worm.  The Senior Subaltern meant no harm; but his chaff was coarse, and he didn’t quite understand where to stop.  He had been waiting too long for his Company; and that always sours a man.  Also he was in love, which made him worse.

One day, after he had borrowed The Worm’s trap for a lady who never existed, had used it himself all the afternoon, had sent a note to The Worm, purporting to come from the lady, and was telling the Mess all about it, The Worm rose in his place and said, in his quiet, ladylike voice:—­“That was a very pretty sell; but I’ll lay you a month’s pay to a month’s pay when you get your step, that I work a sell on you that you’ll remember for the rest of your days, and the Regiment after you when you’re dead or broke.”  The Worm wasn’t angry in the least, and the rest of the Mess shouted.  Then the Senior Subaltern looked at The Worm from the boots upward, and down again and said:  “Done, Baby.”  The Worm took the rest of the Mess to witness that the bet had been taken, and retired into a book with a sweet smile.

Two months passed, and the Senior Subaltern still educated The Worm, who began to move about a little more as the hot weather came on.  I have said that the Senior Subaltern was in love.  The curious thing is that a girl was in love with the Senior Subaltern.  Though the Colonel said awful things, and the Majors snorted, and married Captains looked unutterable wisdom, and the juniors scoffed, those two were engaged.