'
"'Faith, you've larnt the half av your lesson, Sorr,' sez I, 'but
av you shtick to the Rig'lations you'll niver get thim inship at
all, at all. Or there won't be a rag av kit betune thim whin you
do.'
"'Twas a dear little orf'cer bhoy, an' by way av kapin' his heart
up, I tould him fwhat I saw wanst in a draf in Egypt."
"What was that, Mulvaney?" said I.
"Sivin an' fifty men sittin' on the bank av a canal, laughin' at a
poor little squidgereen av an orf'cer that they'd made wade into
the slush an' pitch things out av the boats for their Lord High
Mightinesses. That made me orf'cer bhoy woild wid indignation.
"'Soft an' aisy, Sorr,' sez I; 'you've niver had your draf' in
hannd since you left cantonmints Wait till the night, an' your
work will be ready to you. Wid your permission, Sorr, I will
investigate the camp, an' talk to me ould frinds. 'Tis no manner
av use thryin' to shtop the divilmint now.'
"Wid that I wint out into the camp an' inthrojuced mysilf to ivry
man sober enough to remimber me. I was some wan in the ould days,
an' the bhoys was glad to see me - all excipt Peg Barney wid a eye
like a tomata five days in the bazar, an' a nose to match. They
come round me an' shuk me, an' I tould thim I was in privit employ
wid an income av me own, an' a drrrawin'-room fit to bate the
Quane's; an' wid me lies an' me shtories an' nonsinse gin'rally, I
kept 'em quiet in wan way an' another, knockin' roun' the camp.
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