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The Junior Classics — Volume 8 - Animal and Nature Stories by Unknown
page 76 of 507 (14%)
that time he appeared at his best, and became the regimental dog.

No officer or soldier connected with the command more fully
appreciated "The pomp and circumstance of great and glorious war"
than he. As the band marched out to take position previous to
playing for the companies to assemble, he would place himself
alongside the drum-major, and, when the signal for marching was
given, would move off with stately and solemn tread, with head well
up, looking straight to the front. Upon those great occasions, he
fully realized the dignity of his position, and woe betide any
unhappy other dog that happened to get in front of the marching
band. When upon the parade field, he became, next to the colonel,
the commanding officer, and ever regarded himself as the regulator
of the conduct of those careless and frivolous dogs, that go
about the world like street urchins, having no character for
respectability or position in society to sustain.

Of those careless ne'er-do-wells the company had accumulated a very
large following. As a rule, they were harmless and companionable,
and were always on hand ready for a free lunch. It was only on
dress parade that they made themselves over-officious. Each company
was attended to the parade ground by its particular family of
canine companions, and, when all of them had assembled, the second
battalion of the regiment would make itself known by a great
variety of jumpings, caperings, barks of joy, and cries of delight.
To this unseasonable hilarity Carlo seriously objected, and his
actions plainly told the story of his disgust at the conduct of the
silly members of his race. He usually remained a passive observer
until the exercise in the manual of arms, at which particular
period in the ceremonies, the caperings and the barkings would
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