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The Fogg's New Year : Brigadier Cromarty

From: Harry Hayfield <harryhayfield~at~gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:52:56 +0000
To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

This is my contribution to the New Year story that I mentioned and is
based on Brigadier Cromarty's New Year
  
Despite being the last day of the year, the Indian sun was beating down
on the garrison in Benares, British India and everyone in the barracks
knew it, but that never stopped the English army.
  
“Let’s be having you!” shouted the adjutant, “time for inspection don’t
you know!”
  
There was a mass movement of soldiers and within moments every member
of the garrison were lined up. The adjutant went to the Brigadier's
quarters and knocked. A few moments later, Brigadier Cromarty left his
quarters and as the band played the National Anthem, he marched up and
down the lines inspecting every member of the garrison, however he
found his mind wandering from time to time. After the formal inspection
had ended and the garrison had been dismissed he went into his quarters
and asked his adjutant to join him. Once inside, he poured a glass of
whisky and offered one to the adjutant who refused.
  
“Sir!” he said, “thank you sir, but I am on duty until four o’clock
this afternoon, sir!”
  
“Indeed you are!” the Brigadier replied, “but I am offering this as a
token of my esteem for your work!”
  
“In that case, sir!” said the adjutant, “thank you very much sir!” and
he took the glass
  
“Her Majesty!” said the Brigadier, a toast echoed by the adjutant as
they both downed their glasses in one. As the Brigadier put his glass
on the table beside him he sighed and the adjutant asked if anything
was the matter.
  
“I’ll be honest!” he said, “I know that Mr. Fogg won his wager and
travelled around the world in eighty days but I can’t help wondering
what’s going to happen to the Princess!”
  
His adjutant was just about to answer when the door to the Brigadier’s
quarters flung open and a private, puffing and panting, collapsed
inside.
  
“Good lord, man!” said the Brigadier racing to the private’s aid,
“What’s the matter? Has the Rajah been killed?”
  
“No….sir!” puffed the private, “It’s….Mr……Fogg….sir!
I’ve….come…..straight…..from…..the….station!” and waved a newspaper
weakly which the Brigadier grabbed. He opened it up and the concerned
face that had greeted the private’s arrival changed into a broad smile
and then a chuckle. "Thank you, Private" he said, "consider yourself
mentioned in despatches!"
  
“Sir?” gasped the private as he staggered to his feet with the help of
the adjutant.
  
The Brigadier turned the paper around to reveal the headline “Confirmed
bachelor to be married this afternoon at St. Marylebone Parish Church”
with a picture of Mr. Fogg and the Princess underneath. He then
gestured to the adjutant to refill his glass and to give the private a
glass as well.
  
“Gentlemen” he said, filling his own glass and raising it, “a toast to
a true English gentleman and to his new wife. To Mr. Fogg and the
Princess!”
  
“To Mr. Fogg and the Princess” came the reply
  
***
As the clocks in the garrison moved towards midnight, the Brigadier's
New Year's party was in full swing. All of the other commanding
officers from the district were present and dressed in their finest
uniforms and chatting amongst themselves about the past year. A few
moments later, the adjutant came in from the Brigadier's private
quarters and coughed loudly bringing the discussions to an end.
  
"Presenting" he announced, "Brigadier Francis Cromarty, commander of
the Benares garrison"
  
The Brigadier entered and all the other officers bowed as he was handed
a glass of champagne.
  
“Gentlemen” said the Brigadier to the gathered company, "Tonight marks
the change from the old year to the new year, it also marks the time
that we remember friends that we have met during the year. This year,
as you know, I met the most remarkable gentleman from London who,
thanks mostly to his manservant, and with a little assistance from my
good self, was able to traverse the Indian jungle and ensure that he
completed his record breaking trip around the world in eighty days”
  
As the Brigadier spoke, the adjutant was filling everyone’s glasses
with champagne ready for the toast.
  
“Therefore” continued the Brigadier, “gentlemen, please charge and
raise your glasses, to a true demonstration of Britain’s domination of
the Empire, to Mr. Phileas Fogg!”
  
“To Phileas Fogg” came the resounding reply as the clock in the
Brigadier’s quarters chimed midnight and all across the garrison the
strains of "Auld Lang Syne" could be heard
  
Anyone else fancy carrying on (or indeed even expanding as I will be
the first to admit that my knowledge of 19th century army life is poor!)
Received on Fri 06 Jan 2012 - 00:03:27 IST

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