A good many changes had taken place during the month's work. Many of
the officers became disgusted with hard and continuous work, to which
they were unaccustomed, while some of the sub-officers showed a
deficiency of the quickness and intelligence needed for the work.
Their places, however, were easily filled, and as the days went on,
all took an increasing degree of interest, as they acquired facility
of movement, and saw how quickly, according to the European methods,
manoeuvres were gone through. At the end of a month, then, the sixty
men were able in turn to instruct others; and, a body of five hundred
men being called out, the work of drilling on a large scale began.
The drill ground now was a level space in the valley below the town,
and the whole population assembled, day after day, to look on with
astonishment at the exercises. The four great companies, or
battalions, as Charlie called them, were kept entirely separate, each
under the command of one of the Sepoys, under whom were a proportion
of the officers and sub-officers. Every evening, Charlie came down for
an hour, and put each body through its drill, distributing blame or
praise as it was deserved, thus keeping up a spirit of emulation
between the battalions.
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