Rupert shared a tent with the other two officers of his troop,
Captain Lauriston, a quiet Scotchman, and Lieutenant Dillon, a
young Irishman, full of fun and life.
There were in camp three regiments of British cavalry and six of
infantry, and as they were far from the seat of war, there was for
the present nothing to do but to drill, and prepare for the coming
campaign. Rupert was delighted with the life, for although the work
for the recruits was hard, the weather was splendid, supplies
abundant--for the Dutch farm wives and their daughters brought
ducks, and geese, and eggs into the camp--and all were in high
spirits at the thought of the approaching campaign. Every night
there were gatherings round the fire, when songs were sung and
stories told. Most of the officers had before campaigned in
Holland, under King William, and many had fought in Ireland, and
had stirring tales of the Boyne, of the siege of Athlone, and of
fierce encounters with the brave but undisciplined Irish.
At the end of a month's hard work, Rupert began to understand his
duties, for in those days the amount of drill deemed necessary for
a trooper was small indeed in proportion to that which he has now
to master. Rupert was already a good rider, and soon learnt where
was his proper place as cornet in each evolution, and the orders
that it behoved him to give. The foot drill was longer and more
difficult, for in those days dragoons fought far more on foot than
is now the case, although at this epoch they had already ceased to
be considered as mounted infantry, and had taken their true place
as cavalry.
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