y,' said my uncle,
looking on him reflectively.

'Well, so it is, not far off fifty years,' answered he. 'He was a
hard-headed codger, he was; but you see the sprig of shillelagh was too
hard for him--ha, ha, ha!' and he gave the skull a smart knock with his
walking-cane, as he grinned at it and wagged his head.

'Gently, gently, my good man,' said the curate, placing his hand hastily
upon his arm, for the knock was harder than was needed for the purpose
of demonstration.

'You see, Sir, at that time, our Colonel-in-Chief was my Lord
Blackwater,' continued the old soldier, 'not that we often seen him, for
he lived in France mostly; the Colonel-en-Second was General
Chattesworth, and Colonel Stafford was Lieutenant-Colonel, and under him
Major O'Neill; Captains, four--Cluffe, Devereux, Barton, and Burgh:
First Lieutenants--Puddock, Delany, Sackville, and Armstrong; Second
Lieutenants--Salt; Barber, Lillyman, and Pringle; Lieutenant
Fireworkers--O'Flaherty--'

'I beg your pardon,' interposed my uncle, '_Fireworkers_, did you say?'

'Yes, Sir.'

'And what, pray, does a Lieutenant _Fireworker_ mean?'

'Why, law bless you, Sir! a Fireworker! 'twas his business to see that
the men loaded, sarved, laid, and fired the gun all right. But that
doesn't signify; you see this old skull, Sir: well, 'twas a nine days'
wonder, and the queerest business you ever heerd tell of. Why, Sir, the
women was frightened out of their senses, an' the men puzzled out o'
their wits--they wor--ha, ha, ha! an' I can tell you all about it--a
mighty black and bloody business it was--'

'I--I beg your pardon, Sir: but I think--yes--the funeral has arrived;
and for the present, I must bid you good-morning.'

And so my uncle hurried to the church, where he assumed his gown, and
the solemn rite proceeded.

When all was over, my uncle, after his wont, waited until he had seen
the disturbed remains re-deposited decently in their place; and then,
having disrobed, I saw him look with some interest about the
church-yard, and I knew 'twas in quest of the old soldier.

'I saw him go away during the funeral,' I said.

'Ay, the old pensioner,' said my uncle, peering about in quest of him.

And we walked through the town, and over the bridge, and we saw nothing
of his cocked hat and red single-breasted frock, and returned rather
disappointed to tea.

I ran into the back room which commanded the church-yard in the hope of
seeing the old fellow once m