A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 181: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

478 A QUEER RACE. duct a war and command an army. You must finda much better man——” ‘‘} cannot find one so good; not only so, I cannot find one—now Amyas is in disgrace—under whom the others would be willing to serve, and serve heartily; but all would be proud to serve under a British officer. If you refuse, the consequences may be serious—perhaps fatal.” ‘In that case- Let it be asyou wish, then. I can only do my best.” “Tt is all I ask.” And then, addressing the others, she said that, albeit 1 naturally hesitated somewhat to undertake so great a responsibility, I had decided, at her pressing request, to accept the command, and that if I was loyally supported she felt sure the result would be all they could desire. For her own part, she conferred on me the most ample powers; every measure which I ad- vised must be adopted, every order I gave obeyed. This speech was received with applause, and rather to my surprise, everybody seemed to be eminently satisfied, whether merely out of complaisance, or because they really shared the queen’s confidence, I could not, of course, determine. But, after all, 1 did possess some qualifications for the post. I had served both in the yol- unteer artillery and- infantry, gone through a course of musketry instruction at Hythe, been brigaded with the regulars, and taken part in several autumn maneuvers and sham fights. J had, moreover, given some attention to strategy and the theory of war, and studied the plans of a good many battles, ancient and modern. All. this was, of course, not enough to make mea general, but I had so far the advantage of everybody else in the island; and as the enemies we should have to encounter were only half-1iaked savages, 1 hoped that I should be equal to the occasion. I began the work of organization at once and on the spot. ‘The first necessity was astaff, and I hardly knew one man from another. I decided to appoint the best shark-fighters as my avds, and select from among them the superior officers of my army. I knew them to be fear- less and resolute, and I thought they would prove apt and intelligent. ‘he result justified my expectations. The next thing was to ascertain upon how many men I could count, and | gave orders for the archer-gaard, and Eomichbooks:. co nm