The South Essex -- [ he brims over with pride. he'd never cared for them, at first. had damned the officers and pitied the men. they were flogged soldiers, when he found them. him and his six riflemen were folded into the regiment after the 95th had left them behind during the first retreat from spain. ]

The first battalion has no commanding officer at the moment, Miss Long. Or none in any official capacity. [ this is the modest way to explain that a simple major had beeen looking after the battalion himself. ] But I was on the business of rectifying that fact and of drumming up some replacements from the second when I found myself here, you see.

They're good lads. Brilliant, really, when given the chances they deserve.