The sight of his young lady friends, clad in masses of primary colors, stimulated him to a strong effort to recover his audacity, and bracing himself up, he began calling out the guide and step, with a noisy confidence that made him heard all over the parade ground: "Left! left! left! Hep! hep! hep! Cast them head and eyes to the right!" Trouble loomed up mountainously as he approached the line.

Putting a company into its place on parade is one of the crucial tests of tactical proficiency.

To march a company to exactly the right spot, with every man keeping his proper distance from his file-leader--"twenty-eight inches from back to breast," clear down the column, so that when the order "front" was given, every one turns, as if on pivot, and touches elbows with those on each side of him, in a straight, firm wall of men, without any shambling "closing up," or "side-stepping" to the right or left,--to do all this at word of command, looks very simple and easy to the non-military spectator, as many other very difficult things look simple and easy to the inexperienced.

But really it is only possible to a thoroughly drilled company, held well in hand by a competent commander.

It is something that, if done well, is simply done well, but if not done well, is very bad.