Read All in Scarlet Uniform (Napoleonic War 4) for Free Online Page A

bread, meat and other vittles, every man gets his tot every day. Now isn’t that better than starving through a hard winter?’ That is what the army promised. What it delivered was a different matter.
    ‘And think of this. Every day – every single day – the newest young hero receives a bright silver shilling.’ Williams knew that a man was lucky to carry away one shilling a week after the deductions were made for food, equipment and laundry. That was assuming the pay was not months in arrears.
    ‘That’s wages, isn’t it, my lads,’ said Dobson. Williams had worked his way nearer the front of the crowd now and saw the mixture of expressions, the young men excited by the prospect, while the older ones scorned it as a pauper’s wage.
    ‘But best of all, when the King gives you the first shilling he adds in a great prize, a bounty no less, to show how much he values the brave fellows who serve him. Here I have a golden guinea.’ Dobson held it aloft. The coin was as highly polished as his buttons. Sadly the sun was hidden behind clouds today and the guinea failed to gleam. ‘Twenty-one shillings, no less. Look at it, lads.’ Dobson held it out on the flat of his palm to show two likely youngsters standing in front of him. Both looked like farm boys and one was barely five feet tall so would have to enlist as a boy at lower pay, but this was not the time for such detail. ‘Look at it, don’t it gleam beautifully?
    ‘One golden guinea, but that’s not all our King wants to give you. “Dob, old son,” he says to me, “I want the most dashing in my special Hundred and Sixth, and I’ll not have them treated a mite less well than the young heroes they are.” True as I stand before you, that’s what he said.’ Most of the audience laughed, although one of the farm lads stared in fresh awe at a man who knew the King.
    A drum stood on the ground, and Dobson now flicked the coin so that it gently bounced on its skin and spun for a moment before falling. ‘So it isn’t just one golden guinea for the lucky few.’ Some recruiters liked to count the coins out one by one, but Dobson reckoned the jingle of coins was more inspiring and so took a purse and emptied it out. Even in the dull light, the gold glittered in the imagination of many who watched them tinkle down. ‘Fifteen bright golden guineas!’
    Williams politely pressed through the crowd as they had arranged.
    ‘That’s just when you join. Clever and brave fellows will soon find themselves promoted to corporal or sergeant, and earning twice as much. Why, they may go further.’ Dobson pretended to notice Williams for the first time. ‘Look at that fine officer over there. A year ago he was my rear rank man, and stood behind me firing his musket at the French.’ That was true enough, although a gentleman volunteer was a very different thing to a private in the ranks. Only the ablest and luckiest private soldier made the leap to commissioned rank, but they were few indeed. ‘Now he’s as fine and rich a gentleman as any you could meet.’ Dobson dropped his voice to a stage whisper. ‘Won’t talk to the likes of me any more!’
    Williams paid no attention, and tried to guess which young woman Dobson had earlier singled out. There were a couple of likely candidates, but when one turned towards him he saw the pleasant, plumpish face of a girl of no more than sixteen, ginger hair peeping out from under her bonnet, and knew that this was the one. The officer raised his hat courteously.
    ‘Would you excuse me, dear lady?’ he said, gesturing to show that he wished to pass. Whenever possible Dobson picked redheads, knowing that his officer was desperately in love with Major MacAndrews’ red-haired daughter. Miss MacAndrews was currently with her mother in Scotland, and Williams had neither seen nor had word from her since coming back to Britain. When he had gone with his sister and Garland north of the border it had been very hard not to keep going