"Faith, I'll be just as discreet about that as your own business. All I can
tell you is, that they brought him up to headquarters this evening with
a sergeant's guard, and they say he's to be tried by court-martial; and
Picton is in a blessed humor about it."

"What could it possibly have been? Some plundering affair, depend on it."

"Faith, you may swear it wasn't for his little charities, as Dr. Pangloss
calls them, they've pulled him up," cried Power.

"Maurice is in high feather about it," said Dennis. "There are five of them
up at Fuentes, making a list of the charges to send to Monsoon; for Bob
Mahon, it seems, heard of the old fellow's doings up the mountains."

"What glorious fun!" said Tower. "Let's haste and join them, boys."

"Agreed," said I. "Is it far from this?"

"Another stage. When we've got something to eat," said the major, "if Power
has any intentions that way--"

"Well, I really did begin to fear Fred's memory was lapsing; but somehow,
poor fellow, smiles have been more in his way than sandwiches lately."

An admonishing look from Power was his only reply, as he walked towards the
door. Bent upon teasing him, however, I continued,--

"My only fear is, he may do something silly."

"Who? Monsoon, is it?"

"No, no. Not Monsoon; another friend of ours."

"Faith, I scarcely thought your fears of old Monsoon were called for. He's
a fox--the devil a less."

"No, no, Dennis. I wasn't thinking of him. My anxieties were for a most
soft-hearted young gentleman,--one Fred Power."

"Charley, Charley!" said Fred, from the door, where he had been giving
directions to his servant about supper. "A man can scarce do a more silly
thing than marry in the army; all the disagreeables of married life, with
none of its better features."

"Marry--marry!" shouted O'Shaughnessy, "upon my conscience, it's
incomprehensible to me how a man can be guilty of it. To be sure, I don't
mean to say that there are not circumstances,--such as half-pay, old age,
infirmity, the loss of your limbs, and the like; but that, with good health
and a small balance at your banker's, you should be led into such an
embarrassment--"

"Men will flirt," said I, interrupting; "men will press taper fingers, look
into bright eyes, and feel their witchery; and although the fair owners be
only quizzing them half the time, and amusing themselves the other, and
though they be the veriest hackneyed coquettes--"

"Did you ever meet the Dalr