et, your honour.

_President._--You must have pretty good hearing, then, to hear a man
whisper at that distance.

_Sergeant._--The divel better hearing in the world.

_President_--How far, now, do you think you could hear a gunshot?

_Sergeant._--Ten miles off, if I was near enough.

_President._--You stupid fellow, if the sound reaches you, you must
hear.

_Sergeant._--Yes, your honour, but I meant that if I was wide awake I
could hear a gun ten miles off, if the report was loud enough. I heard
the guns at Vittoria when my eyes were shut and I was twenty miles off.

_President._--If I could suppose for a moment that your extraordinary
evidence proceeded from any other motive than utter ignorance, I would
this moment try, break, and flog you; but granting that your testimony
proceeds entirely from that channel, you are no longer fit for a
non-commissioned officer, and I shall speak to the commanding-officer to
reduce you.

The prisoner was released, and the proceedings terminated. It appeared
afterwards, that all the witness meant to say was, that he was awake,
but had his eyes shut, when the prisoner made use of the words alluded
to.

* * * * *

We did not remain at Saugar for above a month, after which the division
of the army to which I was attached was ordered to be broken up, and I
proceeded to rejoin my own corps at Cawnpore. This was in July, 1819;
from which period to the beginning of the year 1821, my time was spent
in domestic quiet, in the performance of the station-duties of my
profession, and in social intercourse with my brother officers. About
this period I was raised to the rank of lieutenant, and, to add to the
happiness which I then enjoyed, on the 22nd of March, 1821, I became a
father by the birth of a little boy. Little did I then think that this
blessing was the forerunner of much evil to me and mine; but just at this
crisis I entered into an agreement with the late Lieutenant-Colonel,
then Major, Browne, to run, in partnership with him, at the ensuing
Cawnpore races. My father-in-law being then in a bad state of health,
and just about to leave India, I obtained leave of absence for six
months, and accompanied him to Calcutta. Here I was to purchase certain
horses, &c., for the races; and the circumstances connected with this
unfortunate racing transaction led ultimately to a court-martial, the
sentence of which was as follows:

"The court, having ma