carry boxes of coals
from the basement to the upper story in the building. Although I was very
forbearing with the men, they were ever and anon grumbling and growling,
and in the course of one of their little outpourings I heard a veteran
exclaim that he never knew a fool in his life but what was lucky!

A WARNING AND ITS EFFECT

After superintending the coal fatigue, I was put in charge of a dozen
privates, young and old, in one of the bottom rooms of the castle. Some
of the young bloods were very generous in their fault-finding and acts of
disobedience. One of the old fellows actually point-blankly refused to
wash and scrub the benches in the room--which I had ordered him to do. By
this time their pleading and other things had somewhat "softened my heart
towards them," and the thought came into my head, "don't be so hard on
the poor old chaps; you're abler to do the work than some of them." Thus
my feelings prompted me to take my turn with them, and, divesting myself
of my jacket, and rolling up my shirt sleeves, I set myself to scrubbing
the benches. But, by Jupiter! no sooner had I commenced my self-imposed
task than in popped Captain Clifford Lloyd, who was on his rounds. "What
are you doing there, corporal?" he bellowed forth when he saw me. "Oh, I
am just scrubbing the forms, sir, for a bit of exercise" said I. "D...
you and your exercise," retorted the captain sternly. "Now, don't let me
catch you at it again. Here's an old lazy hound behind you who knows very
well that it is his duty, and I shall take that stripe off your arm if I
catch you at this job again." Of course, as a non-commissioned officer, I
took the warning to heart, and kept to my own duties for the future--the
warning having taken effect with the old soldiers as well as myself.

HOAXED BY THE SERGEANTS

Of course I came in for hoaxes from the sergeants. I mind one incident
which happened one evening. During the day I had been in charge of the
cook-house. Sergeant Murphy, an old soldier, came to me and said I was
wanted by the sergeant-major immediately. "What's the matter? There is
nothing wrong with me, is there?" I asked, noticing that the messenger
looked rather concerned. "Don't you know?" I asked again, and then the
sergeant said, "If _you_ don't know, you soon will do. The fact is, you
have spoiled the coppers in the cook-house, you have burned the bottoms
out of them." "They were all right when I left" I retorted, beginning