's nothin' so treacherous as a Highlander. I was just behind
one, and had my sword-point between his bladebones ready to run him
through, when he turned short about, and run his bayonet into me under
the short ribs, and that was all I saw of the battle; for I bled till I
fainted, and never knew more of what happened. 'Tisn't by way of
making little of Frenchmen I say it, for I sarved too long wid them for
that--but sorra taste of that victory ever they'd see if it wasn't for
the Dillons, and Major Joe that commanded them! The English knows it
well, too! Maybe they don't do us many a spite for it to this very day!'

'And what became of you after that?'

'That same summer I came over to Scotland with the young Prince Charles,
and was at the battle of Prestonpans afterwards! and, what's worse, I
was at Culloden! Oh, that was the terrible day. We were dead bate before
we began the battle. We were on the march from one o'clock the night
before, under the most dreadful rain ever ye seen! We lost our way
twice, and after four hours of hard marching, we found ourselves
opposite a milldam we crossed early that same morning; for the guides
led us all astray! Then came ordhers to wheel about face and go back
again; and back we went, cursing the blaguards that deceived us, and
almost faintin' with hunger. Some of us had nothing to eat for two days,
and the Prince, I seen myself, had only a brown bannock to a wooden
measure of whisky for his own breakfast. Well, it's no use talking; we
were bate, and we retreated to Inverness that night, and next morning we
surrendered and laid down our arms--that is, the "Regiment do Tournay"
and the "Voltigeurs de Metz," the corps I was in myself.'

'And did you return to France?'

'No; I made my way back to Ireland, and after loiterin' about home some
time, and not liking the ways of turning to work again, I took sarvice
with one Mister Brooke, of Castle Brooke, in Fermanagh, a young man that
was just come of age, and as great a divil, God forgive me, as ever was
spawned. He was a Protestant, but he didn't care much about one side or
the other, but only wanted diversion and his own fun out of the world;
and faix he took it, too! He had plenty of money, was a fine man to look
at, and had courage to face a lion!

'The first place we went to was Aix-la-Chapelle, for Mr. Brooke was
named something--I forget what--to Lord Sandwich, that was going there
as an Ambassador.

It was a grand life ther