nd the short o' the story is, that there they were encamped,
man and mother's son of them, going through their dreels by day, and
sleeping by night--the privates in their tents, and the offishers in
their marquees, living in the course of nature on their usual rations of
beef, and tammies, and so on. So, ye understand me, there was nae such
smart ordering of things in the army in those days, the men not having
the beef served out to them by a butcher, supplying each company or
companies by a written contract, drawn up between him and the paymaster
before 'sponsible witnesses; but ilka ane bringing what pleased him,
either tripe, trotters, steaks, cow's-cheek, pluck, hough, spar-rib,
jigget, or so forth."

"'Od!" said I, "Thomas, ye crack like a minister. Where did ye happen to
pick up all that knowledge?"

"Where should I have got it, but from an auld half-pay sergeant-major,
that lived in our spare room, and had been out in the American war,
having seen a power of service, and been twice wounded, once in the aff-
cuit, and the other time in the cuff of the neck."

"I thought as muckle," said I--"Weel, say on, man, it's unco
entertaining."

"Weel," continued he, "let me see where I was at when ye stoppit me; for
maybe I'll hae to begin at the beginning again. For gif ye yinterrupt
me, or edge in a word, or put me out by asking questions, I lose the
thread of my discourse, and canna proceed."

"Ou, let me see," said I, "ye was about the contract concerning the
beef."

"Preceesely," quo' Thomas, stretching out his fore-finger--"ye've said it
to a hair. At that time, as I was observing, the butcher didna supply a
company or companies, according to the terms of a contract, drawn up
before 'sponsible witnesses, between him and the paymaster; but the
soldiers got beef-money along with their pay; with which said money,
given them, ye observe, for said purpose, they were bound and obligated,
in terms of the statute, to buy, purchase, and provide the said beef,
twice a-week or oftener, as it might happen; an orderly offisher making
inspection of the camp-kettles regularly every forenoon, at one o'clock
or thereabouts.

"So, as ye'll pay attention to observe, there was a private in Captain
M'Tavish's company, the second to the left of the centre, of the name of
Duncan MacAlpine, a wee, hardy, blackaviced, in-knee'd creature,
remarkable for nothing that ever I heard tell of, except being reported
to have shotten a gau