The General intended his great-nephew to be worthy of his Stukeley
blood, and to enter Sandhurst a finished man-at-arms and horseman, and
to join his regiment, Cavalry, of course, with nothing much to learn
of sword, lance, rifle, revolver, and horse.

Sergeant Havlan soon found that he had little need to begin at the
beginning with Damocles de Warrenne in the matter of riding, fencing
or boxing, and was unreasonably annoyed thereat.

In time, it became the high ambition and deep desire of Dam to
overcome Sergeant Havlan's son in battle with the gloves. As young
Havlan was a year his senior, a trained infant prodigy, and destined
for the Prize Ring, there was plenty for him to learn and to do.

With foil or sabre the boy was beneath Dam's contempt.

Daily the children were in Sergeant Havlan's charge for riding and
physical drill, Dam getting an extra hour in the evening for the more
manly and specialized pursuits suitable to his riper years.

He and Lucille loved it all, and the Haddock bitterly loathed it.

Until Miss Smellie came Dam was a happy boy--but for queer sudden
spasms of terror of Something unknown; and, after her arrival, he
would have been well content could he have been assured of an early
opportunity of attending her obsequies and certain of a long-postponed
resurrection; well content, and often wildly happy (with Lucille) ...
but for the curious undefinable fear of Something ... Something about
which he had the most awful dreams ... Something in a blue room with a
mud floor. Something that seemed at times to move beneath his foot,