be already there, and the fleet is all in readiness.

"You all have horses. You can each take your soldier servant with
you, but those who do so must either hire or purchase a horse for
him. All further details you will learn from Colonel Wauchop, and
the paymaster will have orders to issue two months' pay to each of
you, in advance. The distance will be about a hundred and fifty
miles, and you will perform it in five days."

Colonel Wauchop then addressed a few words to the officers, all of
whom were under the rank of captain.

"Gentlemen," he said, "you have an honourable task before you. For
years we have been waiting for the day when our swords might aid
to place our king upon the throne. At last it has come. I need not
say that the struggle will be a severe one, and that your courage
will be taxed to the utmost, but you have proved that in a score
of desperate fights.

"The task before you will need tact to no ordinary degree. The
Scotch are as peppery a race as the Irish are, and it will be
necessary in no way to hurt their feelings, or to excite among
them the smallest degree of discontent at being drilled and led by
men who are not of their own race.

"And now, as we have much to do before starting, I will leave you
to make your arrangements. The rendezvous for us all is in your
barrack yard, and at nine o'clock we shall be here."

The colonel now left the room, and the officers eagerly and
excitedly talked over the startling news that they had just heard.
The greater part of those who had been selected for the service
were delighted to go, while the others were equally pleased, at
the thought that they might shortly be fighting for King James on
the soil of Ireland.

"Sure, your honour, I wish it had been in the ould country instead
of Scotland," Mike said, when he heard the news.

"I cannot say that I agree with you, Mike. In Ireland, we should
find tens of thousands of brave hearts ready to join us, but they
are unarmed, undrilled, and undisciplined, and would be of
comparatively slight assistance to us against the English troops.
Defeat would bring down fresh persecutions, fresh confiscations,
and greater misery upon the land."

"Sure we would beat them, your honour."

"We might, Mike; but you must remember that we failed to do so,
even when the people were armed. No doubt we shall take a certain
amount of muskets and ammunition with us, but the power of England
is more assuredly fixed in Irela