Papa Wick had been a Commissioner in his day, holding authority
over three millions of men in the Chota-Buldana Division, building
great works for the good of the land, and doing his best to make
two blades of grass grow where there was but one before. Of
course, nobody knew anything about this in the little English
village where he was just "old Mr. Wick" and had forgotten that he
was a Companion of the Order of the Star of India.
He patted Bobby on the shoulder and said: "Well done, my boy!"
There followed, while the uniform was being prepared, an interval
of pure delight, during which Bobby took brevet-rank as a "man" at
the women-swamped tennis-parties and tea-fights of the village,
and, I daresay, had his joining-time been extended, would have
fallen in love with several girls at once. Little country villages
at Home are very full of nice girls, because all the young men
come out to India to make their fortunes.
"India," said Papa Wick, "is the place. I've had thirty years of
it, and, begad, I'd like to go back again. When you join the Tail
Twisters you'll be among friends, if every one hasn't forgotten
Wick of Chota-Buldana, and a lot of people will be kind to you for
our sakes.
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