of the
fireworker's long shanks, and O'Flaherty insisted on dressing, shaving,
and otherwise preparing as a gentleman and an officer, with great gaiety
of heart, to meet his fate on the Fifteen Acres.

In due time arrived the antidote. It was enclosed in a gallipot, and was
what I believe they called an electuary. I don't know whether it is an
obsolete abomination now, but it looked like brick-dust and treacle, and
what it was made of even Puddock could not divine. O'Flaherty, that
great Hibernian athlete, unconsciously winced and shuddered like a child
at sight of it. Puddock stirred it with the tip of a tea-spoon, and
looked into it with inquisitive disgust, and seemed to smell it from a
distance, lost for a minute in inward conjecture, and then with a slight
bow, pushed it ceremoniously toward his brother in arms.

'There is not much the matter with me now--I feel well enough,' said
O'Flaherty, mildly, and eyeing the mixture askance; and after a little
while he looked at Puddock. That disciplinarian understood the look, and
said, peremptorily, shaking up his little powdered head, and lisping
vehemently--

'Lieutenant O'Flaherty, Sir! I insist on your instantly taking that
physic. How you may feel, Sir, has nothing to do with it. If you
hesitate, I withdraw my sanction to your going to the field, Sir.
There's no--there _can_ be--no earthly excuse but a--a miserable
objection to a--swallowing a--recipe, Sir--that isn't--that is may
be--not intended to please the palate, but to save your _life_,
Sir,--remember. Sir, you've swallowed a--you--you _require_, Sir--you
don't think I fear to say it, Sir!--you have swallowed that you ought
not to have swallowed, and don't, Sir--don't--for _both_ our sakes--for
Heaven's sake--I implore--and insist--don't trifle, Sir.'

O'Flaherty felt himself passing under the chill and dismal shadow of
death once more, such was the eloquence of Puddock, and so impressible
his own nature, as he followed the appeal of his second. 'Life is
sweet;' and, though the compound was nauseous, and a necessity upon him
of swallowing it in horrid instalments, spoonful after spoonful, yet,
though not without many interruptions, and many a shocking apostrophe,
and even some sudden paroxysms of horror, which alarmed Puddock, he did
contrive to get through it pretty well, except a little residuum in the
bottom, which Puddock wisely connived at.

The clink of a horse-shoe drew Puddock to the window. Sturk