The recruits, not having been allocated to their companies yet, stood to one side. The remaining men, under their sergeants, stood in the three company blocks. Dusty knew each company held a strength of thirty men instead of the regulation fifty. This did not surprise him, for most regiments found themselves under strength; the thirty recruits were here to build up the company numbers, not make another company. However, standing in the three blocks of the ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ companies were less than half of their strength. Dusty estimated almost fifty men out of ninety were not on parade. With fingertips tapping lightly on his sides, Dusty turned to Gilbey. ‘Well, mister?’ he said. ‘They’re most likely off the post, sir,’ put in Jarrow, hopping along with the grace of a club-footed moose where angels and Frank Gilbey would fear to read. ‘Down to the sutler’s and— well, maybe they didn’t hear the call, sir.’ The latter part of his words came to a lame halt as he realized he hadn’t exactly helped the situation in any way.
