"

"About nothing, as far as I could see. A man said something about
Scotch officers, in a tone I did not like. I was out of temper, and
instead of turning it off with a laugh I took it up seriously, and
threw a glass at his head. So of course we fought. We wounded each
other twice, and then the others stopped it. The second affair was
just as absurd, except that there I got the best of it, and sliced
the man's sword arm so deeply that he was on the sick list for two
months--the result of an accident, as the surgeon put it down. So
although I don't say but that there is a much better class of men
in the 3rd than there was in my regiment, I should not be in any
hurry to join.

"If there is a row, you will see ten times as much as an
aide-de-camp as you would in your regiment, while during peacetime
there is no comparison at all between our lives as aides-de-camp
and that of regimental officers.

"I fancy you have rather a treasure in the man they have told off
to you. He was the colonel's servant at one time, but he got drunk
one day, and of course the colonel had to send him back to the
ranks. One of the officers told me about him when he came in, and
said that he was one of the best riders and swordsmen in the
regiment. The adjutant told me that he has specially chosen him for
you, because he had a particularly good mount, and that as your
orderly it would be of great importance that he should be able to
keep up with you. Of course, he got the horse when he was the
colonel's orderly; and though he was sent back to the ranks six
months ago, the colonel, who was really fond of the man, allowed
him to keep it."

"I thought it seemed an uncommonly good animal, when he led it into
the stable," Fergus said. "Plenty of bone, and splendid quarters. I
hope he was not unwilling to come to me. It is a great fall from
being a colonel's servant to become a cornet's."

"I don't suppose he will mind that; and at any rate, while he is
here the berth will be such an easy one that I have no doubt he
will be well content with it, and I daresay that he and Donald will
get on well together.

"Donald is a Cuirassier. After Keith appointed me as one of his
aides, he got me transferred to the Cuirassiers, who are stationed
at Potsdam. That was how I came to get hold of Donald as a
servant."

A few minutes after they had done dinner, there was a knock at the
door. The orderly entered and saluted.

"You will find my man in there,"