arch three or four weeks previously, but of which he had now
quite recovered. Our company was at that time very short of sergeants,
for which I shall afterwards account, so he recommended my promotion
to fill one of the vacancies to the colonel, who gave him a written
order for the purpose, and I was put into the place of poor Ryan. I of
course was very proud of my new title, and not only that, but I
received one shilling and elevenpence pay per day, being an additional
sixpence on what I had formerly.

CHAPTER XVIII.

The regiment refitted with clothing and provisions at St. Jean de
Luz -- Comments by Lawrence on the shameful behaviour of certain
sergeants of his regiment -- Marches and countermarches in the
mountain passes -- Lawrence temporizes as cook in behalf of his
officers, and is rewarded with an extra allowance of rum -- A wet
night -- Fall of San Sebastian -- Lawrence acts as medical
adviser to his captain and gets more rum -- Battle of the Nivelle
and the French driven well into their own country.

Very shortly after my promotion we were ordered to St. Jean de Luz,
where we received new clothes, and high time it was that we did so
too, for our old ones were scarcely worth owning as rags and fearfully
dirty, the red of them having turned almost to black. I ought to have
received a sergeant's suit, but owing probably to the quartermaster's
obstinacy I only got a private's, the same sort as I had had before.
Here we likewise received a good supply of bread and rum, which seemed
to us like a new and even a luxurious diet.

I may as well here give the details about the sergeants of our
regiment. I was the only one in my company where there ought to have
been six when I was promoted, so the whole duty fell heavily on me.
The rest had been wounded at some time or other before, and then never
pushed on much to get back to their regiment; many when recovered
preferring to skulk in the hospitals in paltry situations such as
doorkeepers or ward-masters, so getting a little extra pay, and then,
as I shall again have occasion to show, being too ready to make their
appearance when the war was over. Fortunately, however, they then met
with no great encouragement. They had really plenty of opportunity to
follow up the regiment if they had chosen, but I suppose they thought
they were best off out of the smell of powder, and probably they were,
but still that does not throw