brothers by the same mother, but not the same father, that were drummers in the same regiment with their father. Indeed, she is from a genteel family, your Honour, and cannot put up with the language of those foul-mouthed savages in the barracks."

Much more would he have said; but, finding the adjutant inflexible, he went off, muttering to himself, and by no means pleased with the reception he had met with.

Some years ago, at the station of Meerutt, in the East Indies, as I was passing the barracks of the 53d Regiment, late one evening, I heard a man and his rib at high words.

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By the powers, Judy, if you don't be after holding your tongue, but I'll stop your gab, so I will."

"You, you spalpeen! Arrah! do you think to frighten me, who have been campaigning it these forty years, and travelled through all the countries in Europe, besides Spain and France? Fait, you may as well attempt to frighten a milestone as me; therefore none of your blarney sure, it would have been better for me to have been blind the first day I saw you. Och! Judy has made a pretty bargain for herself: after all her service, to have such a husband!"

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Faith, honey, I wish the first time I saw your ugly mug I had been hanged; it would have been much more genteel than to be humbugged by a famale woman; and, only I don't like to strike one of the softer six, bad luck to me if I wouldn't bate you as black as indigo: therefore, will you be after going for the liquor ?".

"The divel a toe, Paddy-the divel a toe, my dear honey; don't think to come the old soldier over me: one who has roughed it winter and summer, day and night, hail and snow, thunder and lightning, fire and water, smoke and dust; it won't fit, Paddy."

“Fait, Judy, you have seen a little service, joy; and it's a great shame you haven't got a mighty big pinsion for your loyalty to your country.-for gin-drinking, rumtippling, whiskey-stealing, husband-scolding, dead-robbing.'

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By the powers, you villain, if you dare be after saying I rob the dead,-I, Judy O'Gum, all the way from Do

noughmore, and who have followed the soldiers from my very cradle, I will bate your head as flat as your sense. Och! you tafe, do you mane to cast a slur upon me, who have gone through the toils of a hundred campaigns?" 'Fait, you followed the soldiers,-becase why, Judy? Sure, honey, I know all about you: dogs and girls always follow the soldiers."

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Say that again, and I'll split your ugly mug with this stick."

"Put a finger on me, Judy, and by my conscience, but I'll give you what you never had before in your life,—a great big bating.”

“Och, then, Pat, here goes if I die."

Upon this, she rushed at him with the fury of a tigress; and poor Pat had enough to do to parry and guard, to keep off her well-aimed blows. At last she tumbled, exhausted by her own efforts, when Pat triumphantly exclaimed, "By St. Patrick! there lays three yards of bad

stuff.' ""

"It's a lie, Pat, it's a lie; the divel a bit of better stuff in the whole regiment. Fait, Pat, I am not done yet; only let me get up, and I'll show you that I am blood to the back-bone :" but Pat, convinced that his last imputation against his rib was false, kept her down, her hands and feet going at the rate of double-quick, accompanied by a volley of epithets not exactly adapted for ears polite.

Thus went on the scuffle, till I thought a timely interference might prevent worse consequences; but scarcely had I told the man to desist, than the woman turned her abuse upon me, called me everything but a gentleman, and asked what business was it to me, if a man chose to bate his wife? "Oh," said I, "certainly not; it is no affair of mine; therefore don't let me interfere in your domestic avocations ;" and off I marched, reflecting on the delectable pleasures of matrimony.

Having merged into the merry mood, I cannot close this chapter without making some mention of an officer who served at Bhurtpore, and who, by his uniform goodhumour and love of fun, contributed greatly to keep up our spirits. The officer to whom I allude, was Captain Nelley, commanding the breaching-battery,—a most

brave, active, and zealous soldier, and dearly beloved by the men, for his condescending and jocular manners. He would join in any piece of fun to keep us alive; was always particularly anxious to detect the Irish soldiers in the perpetration of bulls; and would pervert whatever was said by Sergeant Gaffen, and others from the Emerald Isle, to his own meaning. Being in the constant habit of joking with and quizzing the men, it was not to be wondered at that many tricks were played him in return. These he would take with the most perfect good-humour. When the captain was seated on the ground at his dinner, some mischievous wag would, on a sudden, call out, “A gun on our left." On this the captain would instantly spring up to reconnoitre, and, on his return, he would find some part of his dinner purloined, or his grog drunk. When it was cold weather, the captain always wore a Welsh wig. On these occasions, when he was fast asleep, we would stick a crooked pin in the wig, attached to a cord some ten yards long, and then sing out, “A gun." This would always rouse him from his slumbers; and, the moment he moved, the wig, of course, suddenly disappeared. On these occasions he would affect to be quite outrageous, would stamp and storm, and call us all the thieves he could think of. After a time, the wig would be returned, by putting a stone in it, and then throwing it close to him, singing out, "Shot." At these jokes the gallant captain would laugh heartily, generally concluding with, "Ay, ay; never mind, my boys; I'll pay you off for this." In short, he was as prime an old boy as ever graced a battery.

CHAPTER VIII.

HAVING abundance of spare time while preparations were making for a second attack on the fort, Lord Lake determined to disturb Hoolkah in his hiding-place; for which purpose a party of infantry was despatched with about four six-pounders. We soon came within sight of him, sheltered a good deal from his view by high trees and jungle. The fort, observing our manœuvres, commenced a heavy cannonade. Hoolkah, alarmed, got on the move, and made towards Futtypo or Seccrah,one of his old haunts. Once from under the walls of the fort, our cavalry soon put his troops to flight; immense numbers were killed, and elephants, horses, camels, spears, matchlocks, colours, &c. were brought into camp. Hoolkah's best elephant was that day taken, and some little treasure was found on camels. Notwithstanding this routing, however, they took up their old ground, and we returned to camp, with some few men killed and wounded. The skirmish, instead of decreasing their impudence, seemed only to increase it; for they were day and night hovering round our piquets, the object of which was to take our attention from their main body, who had been despatched to intercept a small detachment that was on the way to join us, from Muttra. Our spies soon brought intelligence of this, and, in little more than ten minutes after, three regiments of dragoons were on the move to rescue them, and arrived just in time to save our stores and the lives of the little party. Hoolkah commanded in person on this occasion, and it was reported. that he was killed, though this proved afterward to be false. A reward was offered for his head, and a great number were tendered, but none belonged to one-eyed Hoolkah. It is true, heads were produced without an eye, but the phiz of that notorious Pin was too well known to Chiggram (our best spy), to admit of our being imposed on. My wounds at this time were nearly well, and, having been unsuccessful in the first Forlorn Hope which I had VOL. I.-9

led, I volunteered to lead the second. One night, previous to the time appointed for the second attack, I sauntered to a retired spot, far from the observation of my comrades, to muse over the prospect then immediately before me, and to ask His aid who alone has the power to protect us. Scarcely had I entered a wood about one hundred yards from the trenches, when my attention was arrested by a soldier on his knees, fervently supplicating the aid of Almighty God in the coming storm. The moment he heard my footstep, he suddenly arose, and, seeming ashamed of the way in which he was engaged, he said, "Who's that?" I answered, "Sergeant Shipp; who are you?" He replied, "Private Murphy."—"Murphy!" I repeated; "is it possible that such a blasphemer as you, who, day after day, and hour after hour, boast your own infamy in a wanton disbelief and contempt of every quality that can constitute the man and the Christian, and who, no later than yesternight, solemnly protested before your comrades, that you firmly believed there was no place of punishment save a man's own conscience, and that hell was merely a name to frighten and intimidate schoolboys—can it be possible," continued I, "that you have at this late hour retired to this lonely place, and are found in the act of prayer?" Shipp," he replied, in a softer tone, and in nearly the following words :-"Whatever a man may boast or say in his deluded and more irrational moments, there is a period when all those blasphemous expressions rush across the human mind, and the recollection of having uttered them leaves an inconceivable pressure on the humbled heart; but I pray you, do not expose me to my comrades, or I shall become their jeer and ridicule. I beg this as a favour.". "What!" said I, "more afraid of the derision of men, than the wrath of an offended God?”

"No, no," replied he; "but you know how religious soldiers are held in derision by some of our comrades." -“Well,” I said, "I shall keep your secret, and you may confidently trust me on this subject; I will promise you most solemnly that I will never join in the laugh against you, and, if you have not finished, I shall be gratified in joining you in prayer, as I have rebuked you for your profligacy." He affectionately seized my hand, and pulled

me towards the earth.

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