ctor; the gift of a very warm friend."

"I hope you invited him to the mess, O'Malley! For, by Jove, our stables
stand in need of his kind offices! There he goes! Look at him! What a
slashing pace for a heavy fellow!" This observation was made with
reference to a well-known officer on the commander-in-chief's staff, whose
weight--some two and twenty stone--never was any impediment to his bold
riding.

"Egad, O'Malley, you'll soon be as pretty a light-weight as our friend
yonder. Ah, there's a storm going on there! Here comes the colonel!"

"Well, O'Malley, are you come back to us? Happy to see you, boy! Hope
we shall not lose you again in a hurry! We can't spare the scapegraces!
There's plenty of skirmishing going on! Crawfurd always asks for the
scapegraces for the pickets!"

I shook my gallant colonel's hand, while I acknowledged, as best I might,
his ambiguous compliment.

"I say, lads," resumed the colonel, "squad your men and form on the road!
Lord Wellington's coming down this way to have a look at you! O'Malley, I
have General Crawfurd's orders to offer you your old appointment on his
staff; without you prefer to remaining with the regiment!"

"I can never be sufficiently grateful, sir, to the general: but, in fact--I
think--that is, I believe--"

"You'd rather be among your own fellows. Out with it boy! I like you all
the better! But come, we mustn't let the general know that; so that I shall
forget to tell you all about it. Eh, isn't that best? But join your troop
now; I hear the staff coming this way."

As he spoke, a crowd of horseman were seen advancing towards us at a sharp
trot, their waving plumes and gorgeous aiguillettes denoting their rank
as generals of division. In the midst, as they came nearer, I could
distinguish one whom once seen there was no forgetting; his plain blue
frock and gray trousers, unstrapped beneath his boots, not a little unlike
the trim accuracy of costume around him. As he rode to the head of the
leading squadron, the staff fell back and he stood alone before us; for a
second there was a dead silence, but the next instant--by what impulse tell
who can--one tremendous cheer burst from the entire regiment. It was like
the act of one man; so sudden, so spontaneous. While every cheek glowed,
and every eye sparkled with enthusiasm, he alone seemed cool and unexcited,
as, gently raising his hand, he motioned them to silence.

"Fourteenth, you are to be where you always desire