ger in Badenough, or thereabouts; and for having a
desperate red nose, the effects, ye observe, of drinking spirituous
liquors; ye observe, I daur say, what I am saying--the effects of
drinking malt speerits.

"Weel, week after week passed over, and better passed over, and Duncan
played aff his tricks, like anither Herman Boaz, the slight-o'-hand
juggler, him that's suspeckit to be in league and paction with the de'il.
But ye'll hear."

"'Od, it's diverting, Thomas," said I to him; "gang on, man."

"Weel, ye see, as I was observing--Let me see, where was I at?--Ou ay,
having a paction with the de'il. So, when all were watching beside the
camp-kettles, some stirring them with spurtles, or parritch-sticks, or
forks, or whatever was necessary, the orderly offisher made a point and
practice of regularly coming by, about the chap of one past meridian, as
I observed to ye before, to make inspection of what ilka ane had wared
his pay on, and what he had got simmering in the het water for his
dinner.

"So, on the day concerning which I am about to speak, it fell out, as
usual, that he happened to be making his rounds, halting a moment, or twa
maybe, before ilka pot; the man that had the charge thereof, by the way
of stirring like, clapping down his lang fork, and bringing up the piece
of meat, or whatever he happened to be making kail of, to let the
inspector see whether it was lamb, pork, beef, mutton, or veal. For, ye
observe," continued Thomas, giving me, as I took it to myself, another
queer side-look, "the purpose of the offisher making the inspection, was
to see that they laid out their pay-money conform to military regulation;
and not to fyling their stamicks, and ruining baith sowl and body, by
throwing it away on whisky--as but ower mony, that aiblins should have
kenned better, have dune but too often."

"'Tis but ower true," said I till him; "but the best will fa' intil a
faut sometimes. We have a' our failings, Thomas."

"Just so," answered Thomas; "but where was I at?--Ou, about the whisky.
Weel, speaking about the whisky, ye see the offisher, Lovetenant Todrick
I b'lief they called him, had made an observe about Duncan's kettle; so,
when he came to him, Duncan was sitting in the lown side of a dyke, with
his red nose, and a pipe in his cheek, on a big stane, glowring frae him
anither way; and, as I was saying, when he came to him he said,

"'Weel, Duncan MacAlpine, what have ye in your kettle the day, man