h pay."

"That is nonsense, MacIntosh. You must draw the pay, and spend it as
you like, or save it. You must remember that I may be killed in the next
battle I go into, and as I have no heirs the king will give the fief
to someone else. The newcomer might like myself have some friend who he
might appoint castellan."

"It would make no difference," the other said. "In addition to what I
have saved I shall have the price of the cabaret."

"That is not to the point, MacIntosh. The steward has instructions to
hand you your money monthly, while the garrison will be paid weekly. If
you choose to throw the money into the fosse, that is your own business,
mine is to see that my castellan is paid. I am going over at noon
today to St. Denis, where my regiment is quartered, but will ride in on
Saturday. You must buy three horses for yourself and your sergeants; get
good serviceable animals.. I have told the steward to repay you their
cost when you arrive there; he has monies of mine in hand for all
purposes."

Hector then went round and had a chat with Colonel Maclvor, and returned
to the auberge, where the troopers and Paolo had the horses already
saddled. He mounted and rode with them to St. Denis, putting up at an
hotel. He found where the regiment of Poitou were stationed and at once
proceeded there on foot. Two or three officers were chatting together in
the barrack square, while some sergeants were drilling the companies.

He at once went up to them. "Gentlemen," he said, "I must introduce
myself to you. I am Colonel Campbell; I have the honour to command the
regiment. I shall be glad if you will order the officer's call to be
sounded and send orderlies off at once to the lodgings of the officers
and ask them to assemble. To whom have I the pleasure of speaking?"

The senior officer introduced himself and the others. Report had told
them that their new colonel was still a young man, and that he had
served with distinction under both Turenne and Enghien, but they were
not prepared for so young a commander as this. The French regiments had,
as a rule, two colonels, the one a veteran soldier, who had won his
way to the rank by long service and long fighting, the other a young
nobleman who had gained the post solely by family influence, but
possessed no knowledge whatever of military matters, and who was never
with the regiment except when it went upon a campaign, and even then
generally preferred the pleasures of Paris to