you'll find it, when your turn comes,--mark my words."

Not long after this, on the 14th of March, the regiment was on parade,
when the commanding officer read a letter to us which he had just
received. It was to the effect that a few men might volunteer for the
42nd Royal Highlanders and 79th Cameronian Highlanders. We all knew
what that meant, that the 90th was to be kept at home, and that those
two regiments were to fill up their numbers for foreign service. When,
therefore, the word "volunteers come to the front," was given, instead
of forty, which was the whole number required, forty from each company
stepped forward, making four hundred in all. Marshall and I were among
them. It was an anxious time with us till it was known who was
selected. I was among the first chosen. Marshall's was the last name.
I was glad not to be separated from my old comrade. The volunteers
being ordered to parade in front of the commanding officer, he in a very
kind way gave us some good advice. He then expressed his earnest wishes
for our welfare, and hoped that he should never hear of any of those who
had served in the 90th, getting into disgrace, but that when next he
might see us, instead of privates and corporals, we should have become
sergeants. Every word he said I took in greedily, and honestly believe
that I profited by his advice.

There was no time lost. Not many days after that, on the 28th of March,
war was formally declared by Great Britain against Russia. We, with
volunteers from other regiments, at once proceeded by passenger steamer
from Dublin to Portsmouth. Marshall had barely time to write a short
note to Kathleen. He told her of the regiment he had joined, and where
he expected to go, and promised to remain faithful to her as long as he
lived.

It was on Saint Patrick's day, that we landed at the dockyard, to the
number of two hundred, in all sorts of uniforms, the men out of a dirty
steamer not looking over-clean. We then marched to the barracks at
Anglesea, where that "braw" regiment, the well-known "Forty-and-twa"
were stationed. The adjutant and captains of companies then came to
inspect us, and choose men for their respective companies. The captain
of the grenadier company had the first choice, and the captain of the
light company the second. I with eight of our men, including Marshall,
had the honour of being selected by him. I was posted to a room at
once, and ordered to get my kit ready i