Wearing British clothes as a second-generation aristocrat

11. I'm asking you to take attendance.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the morning sun in Mengorol pierced through the thick clouds and shone on the bluestone slabs of the dock, dispelling the chill of the night and quickly filling the air with a humid heat.

Overnight, several more transport ships docked, and the dock area had already returned to its bustling state, with the shouts of indigenous porters, the horns of ships, the cries of vendors, and the conversations of soldiers all mingling together.

Dugan and Tom arrived at the dock area early and, as planned, set up a simple white canvas tent in the open space in the center of the dock. The tent was small, but it was enough to shield them from the scorching morning sun.

Inside was a long wooden table borrowed from a British army temporary supply depot. On the table were a thick roster of soldiers, a quill pen, a can of ink, and a pitcher of chilled coconut juice, which Tom had specially found to help Dugan relieve the morning heat.

"Tom, this guy..." Dugan was very satisfied with Tom's performance. The guy looked honest, but he was very meticulous in his work and had potential.

Dugan sat comfortably in a wicker chair under the tent, leaning back, sipping coconut juice slowly with a relaxed expression.

Tom, holding a simple yet practical tin megaphone, stood on a high platform next to the tent, took a deep breath, and brought the megaphone to his lips.

This tin horn was specially ordered by Dugan yesterday to be made by a local blacksmith. The main body is made of polished tin, and although it is not exquisite, it has a very strong amplification effect.

Tom coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and then shouted at the top of his lungs, "Attention! Attention! All officers and soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 94th Infantry Regiment, attention!"

Tom already had a loud voice, and now his voice was amplified through the tin loudspeaker, instantly drowning out all the noise in the dock area and clearly spreading throughout the entire dock.

Holding a megaphone, he repeated the call in a serious, military tone: "Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Heywood, Commander of the Second Battalion, and Major Robert McKenzie, his adjutant, are to immediately report to the white tent in the center of the dock! Report immediately!"

Once, twice, three times...

Tom's shouts echoed across the dock, piercing through the noise and reaching every transport ship that had just docked, and every busy soldier.

At this moment, a transport ship carrying officers and soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 94th Infantry Regiment had just docked. The gangplank was slowly lowered, and the soldiers in red uniforms were disembarking in an orderly manner, carrying rifles and packs. They looked tired but were still neat and orderly.

At the front of the crowd, a tall, middle-aged officer walked at the very front. Judging from his shoulder insignia, he was a lieutenant colonel. He was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Heywood, the battalion commander of the 2nd Battalion.

Beside him stood a younger officer, a major, his adjutant, Major Robert McKenzie.

As soon as the two stepped onto the dock, they were drawn by Tom's loud shouts. They looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.

Heywood frowned, glancing towards the white tent. The two men, accompanied by several soldiers, quickly made their way through the bustling crowd toward the white tent.

Along the way, many soldiers from the Second Battalion stopped and watched curiously as their battalion commander and adjutant headed toward the tent.

Upon seeing the two approaching, Tom immediately stopped shouting, put down the megaphone, and saluted Haywood and Mackenzie. "I am Corporal Tom, a serviceman from the regimental headquarters. Are you Lieutenant Colonel Haywood and Major Mackenzie?"

"Yes." Haywood and Mackenzie nodded.

"This is Major Dugan Connby, the regimental staff officer," Tom introduced.

Dugan put down his coconut water, slowly stood up, saluted Haywood, and said in a calm tone, "Lieutenant Colonel Haywood, Major McKenzie, welcome to India."

The tone of his voice makes it sound as if Dugan has been in India for many years.

Then, Dugan pointed bluntly to the soldiers' roster on the table, "Colonel Stevenson requires you to conduct a roll call and verification of all soldiers in the Second Battalion by sunset today, according to the soldiers' roster."

Then, Dugan winked at Tom, who handed the roster to Major McKenzie.

Heywood and Mackenzie sized up the young officer before them, without answering immediately.

Heywood was a lieutenant colonel, a rank higher than Dugan's.

McKenzie is a major, the same rank as Dugan.

But Dugan actually used such a commanding tone to order the two of them to do things, that kid...

However, Lieutenant Colonel Haywood was a veteran, and he knew that although the other man's rank was lower than his own, he was a major in the regimental headquarters. Moreover, this Dugan was only in his early twenties and had already become a major. Even if he had bought his way into that position, his family background was not simple.

Seeing that the two did not answer, Dugan raised his voice and said, "Did I not make the order clear? By order of Colonel Stevenson, you are required to count the number of officers and soldiers in the Second Battalion and verify the supplies. This is your battalion's roster. You must immediately take your men to verify it. You must confirm the names of all the soldiers on the list by noon today, ensuring that no personnel are missed and no supplies are lost. After verification, bring the roster to me and report."

Major McKenzie finally couldn't hold back any longer. "Major Connby, Lieutenant Colonel Haywood is a lieutenant colonel, you are a major..."

Before he could finish speaking, Haywood raised his hand to interrupt him.

Haywood replied solemnly, "Yes, sir! I will complete the mission on time!"

Dugan, seeing Haywood's sensible expression, simply nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand without saying anything more: "Go on, hurry up, I need to see the verification results before noon."

MacKenzie was about to say, "Didn't you just say before sunset? How come the time has been moved to noon?"

But at that moment, Lieutenant Colonel Haywood replied, "Yes, Major Connaught!"

Then, he deftly picked up the soldiers' roster from the table, gave McKenzie a wink, and the two turned and quickly left. They immediately summoned the officers of the Second Battalion and began to organize the soldiers for roll call and verification.

The dock area was still bustling. The soldiers of the Second Battalion were already in formation. Heywood and Mackenzie, along with several officers, were taking attendance one by one from the roster.

"Jones!"

"arrive!"

"Wilson!"

"arrive!"

The crisp responses rose and fell, mingling with the clamor of the dock, creating a lively atmosphere.

Finally, after the last soldier finished answering, Major McKenzie tidied up the verified roster, walked quickly to Lieutenant Colonel Haywood, and whispered a report: "Lieutenant Colonel, the verification is complete. All 700 officers and soldiers are accounted for, and all supplies such as rifles, ammunition, rations, and tents are complete, with nothing lost or damaged."

Lieutenant Colonel Haywood nodded, breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, straightened his officer's uniform, and led Mackenzie toward the white tent in the center of the dock.

At this moment, Dugan was still sitting in the wicker chair under the tent, holding a glass of chilled coconut juice, while Tom found a large fan and gently fanned himself.

"Major Connby." Lieutenant Colonel Haywood led Major McKenzie to the tent, saluted, and spoke respectfully.

Mackenzie stood beside him, holding the verified roster in both hands, her expression serious, but deliberately avoiding looking at Dugan.

Dugan slowly put down the coconut juice in his hand and asked, "What are the results of the verification?"

"All 700 officers and soldiers of the Second Battalion have arrived, with not a single one missing," Major McKenzie said. "All supplies have also been checked one by one; rifles, ammunition, rations, and other supplies are all in place, with nothing missing or damaged, fully meeting the regimental headquarters' requirements."

Although Lieutenant Colonel Heywood respected Dugan, it was still too humiliating for a lieutenant colonel to report on his work to a major.

Therefore, the report was given by Major McKenzie, who held the same rank.

Dugan nodded and said, "Very good, Lieutenant Colonel Haywood, thank you for your hard work. To be able to verify all 700 officers and soldiers and supplies in such a short time demonstrates your ability and meticulousness."

Dugan's words of praise were neither particularly hurtful nor flattering, but they made Haywood and Mackenzie feel slightly better, at least realizing that Dugan wasn't just putting on airs and could actually say a few polite words.

However, Major McKenzie added, "But, during the transoceanic voyage, 24 soldiers unfortunately contracted the disease."

Major McKenzie continued, "The symptoms are mostly fever, diarrhea, and general weakness, most likely due to the crowded and damp conditions on board, and the unclean food, leading to malaria or dysentery. These soldiers are currently too weak to even stand, and are unable to march with the main force. I suggest that they remain at the British temporary hospital in Mengorol for treatment until they improve, and then proceed to the camp to rejoin the main force."

Before his time travel, Dugan was a surgical intern, but he was well aware of the dangers of malaria and dysentery in this era.

India's hot and humid climate is a breeding ground for disease, and the soldiers' long voyages and weakened constitutions made them susceptible to illness.

If these soldiers are forced to march, it's a minor issue if they die from dehydration; the real problem is that the disease will spread and affect the entire unit's combat effectiveness.

Tom, who was standing nearby, added, "Major, there's a temporary hospital in Mengorol with medics stationed there and a fairly good supply of medicine."

Dugan nodded and said solemnly, "Understood. Lieutenant Colonel Haywood, arrange for two men to escort these 24 sick soldiers to the hospital."

"Okay." Major McKenzie felt that this arrogant major was not entirely unreasonable; at least he knew how to be considerate of his subordinates.

Then, Dugan added:

"Lieutenant Colonel Haywood, Major McKenzie, arrange for the soldiers to rest at the temporary camp near the dock, replenish their water and food supplies, check their equipment, and make preparations for departure. We will depart first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir." Haywood and Mackenzie saluted together.

Dugan replied very seriously.