me. I turned
and saw my man Mike, as with anxious joy, he fixed his eyes upon the shore.

"They tell me it's a beautiful place, with wine for nothing and spirits for
less. Isn't it a pity they won't be raisonable and make peace with us?"

"Why, my good fellow, we are excellent friends; it's the French who want to
beat us all."

"Upon my conscience, that's not right. There's an ould saying in Connaught,
'It's not fair for one to fall upon twenty.' Sergeant Haggarty says that
I'll see none of the divarsion at all."

"I don't well understand--"

"He does be telling me that, as I'm only your footboy, he'll send me away
to the rear, where there's nothing but wounded and wagons and women."

"I believe the sergeant is right there; but after all, Mike, it's a safe
place."

"Ah, then, musha for the safety! I don't think much of it. Sure, they might
circumvint us. And av it wasn't displazing to you, I'd rather list."

"Well, I've no objection, Mickey. Would you like to join my regiment?"

"By coorse, your honor. I'd like to be near yourself; bekase, too, if
anything happens to you,--the Lord be betune us and harm," here he crossed
himself piously,--"sure, I'd like to be able to tell the master how you
died; and sure, there's Mr. Considine--God pardon him! He'll be beating my
brains out av I couldn't explain it all."

"Well, Mike, I'll speak to some of my friends here about you, and we'll
settle it all properly. Here's the doctor."

"Arrah, Mr. Charles, don't mind him. He's a poor crayture entirely. Devil a
thing he knows."

"Why, what do you mean, man? He's physician to the forces."

"Oh, be-gorra, and so he may be!" said Mike, with a toss of his head.
"Those army docthers isn't worth their salt. It's thruth I'm telling you.
Sure, didn't he come to see me when I was sick below in the hould?

"'How do you feel?' says he.

"'Terribly dhry in the mouth,' says I.

"'But your bones,' says he; 'how's them?'

"'As if cripples was kicking me,' says I.

"Well, with that he wint away, and brought back two powders.

"'Take them,' says he, 'and you'll be cured in no time.'

"'What's them?' says I.

"'They're ematics,' says he.

"'Blood and ages!' says I, 'are they?'

"'Devil a lie,' says he; 'take them immediately.'

"And I tuk them; and would you believe me, Mister Charles?--it's thruth I'm
telling you,--devil a one o' them would stay on my stomach. So you see what
a docther he is!"

I could not help smiling