edge who I was, though I had known her before her marriage. She
did not ask me in, but pointed out a barn, where she said I would find
George. I went over and he was there threshing, so I said, "Well,
friend, do you thresh by the day or the quarter?" He answered, "By the
quarter, but I cannot do much of it." He stared at me, for I had on my
regimentals, but I did not yet make myself known. Then I asked him if
there was a public-house handy. He said there was one just below, so I
told him that if he would go there with me I would treat him, as his
must be hard work, and he thanked me and led the way.

I ordered some beer and tobacco with pipes, and after that took off my
shako which I could not bear any longer, and he immediately recognized
me as his brother William. We then went to his home to be introduced
to his wife, and we stayed there two days, after which we returned to
Bryant's Piddle and remained with the old people for the rest of the
eighteen days I had allotted for our stay out of the six weeks; the
going and returning taking away above half our furlough. The morning
we left was quite as bad as the morning of my appearance, my wife,
who had got used to the old people, being quite as loud as any of
them; till at last being sick of the whole affair I buckled on my
knapsack, and bidding them good-bye, as quickly as possible took
myself off, leaving my wife to follow with my brother to Dorchester,
he having volunteered to go with us as far as that.

I had planned out a different way for my journey back, intending to
find a ship at Bristol to take us to Scotland and with this view I
proceeded westwards, parting from my brother at Dorchester. We found a
public-house by the roadside a little way from Dorchester, and after
stopping there for the night, continued through Sherborne towards
Bristol. On the way we fell in with one of the light company of my
regiment, called Warren, who said he was going to London to get a ship
back to Scotland; but when I told him of my way of getting there, he
immediately said he would go with us; only he had got no money, and
hoped I would lend him some. I declined doing this as I had very
little myself, but I told him that if he liked to come and live as we
did, I would pay for his food and lodging till we got to the regiment,
to which he consented and we marched on together.

But when we got to Bristol we found there was no ship going to
Scotland, so my wife who was an excellent wa