wanted to know whatever I had been doing, and I told her that I had been
making love too freely with John Barleycorn. Arrived at the Town Hall, I
saw Delaney. We were both locked up for the night, and next morning were
brought

BEFORE THE LORD PROVOST

The captain of the regiment in full-dress uniform was present in court,
occupying a seat beside the magistrate. My case was called on first.
After the two policemen and certain civilians had had their say, a
doctor, whose name, I think, was Montgomery, stepped into the witness-box
and spoke in my favour. The captain also gave me a good character; he
said this was my first offence, and Delaney was the cause of it. In
pronouncing judgement the Lord Provost said that as my captain had spoken
so well of me he would "give me the benefit of the doubt," although an
offence of attempting to rescue a prisoner from the hands of the police
was a very serious one indeed. Under the circumstances, he would fine me
40s and costs, or "saxty days to the talbooth." The charges against poor
Delaney were those of doing wilful damage to property, being drunk and
disorderly, and, to some extent, causing a riot. John had no defence, and
no one to speak a good word for him; indeed, his captain--who was a
fellow-countryman, an Irishman--gave him a bad name. The upshot was that
Delaney was ordered to pay 40s and costs and to make good the damage to
the window, or to go to the talbooth for six months. My fine was paid by
subscription among the No. 7 Company, to which I belonged, and I obtained
my almost immediate release. The amount in Delaney's case was much larger
than mine, and it was not until John had suffered a fortnight's
incarceration that his Company (No. 4) succeeded in getting him released.
I myself took the ransom to Governor McPherson, who returned me 16s out
of a 5 pounds note. Poor John looked well-nigh dead after his sojourn in
the police cell, and as soon as we got out of the gaol we made for an
eating-house, where I let him have a good meal. We then went back to
barracks.

CHAPTER XII

REDUCED TO THE RANKS

In the meantime I had been tried by Court-martial, and reduced to the
ranks. Sergeant Delaney, on entering the barracks, was put under arrest.
He, too, had to undergo a second trial, and he, like myself, was relieved
of his sergeantcy and put back to a private's position. To me, however,
this was no very great trouble, though to a certain extent it was a ma