ng, there's a good
fellow."

"Go to blazes, Doyle!" is the unfeeling answer from the other side. "I'm
bathing." And a vigorous splashing follows the announcement.

"For the Lord's sake, Waring, let me in. Sure I can't see the colonel
now. If I could stand him off until review and inspection's over and
he's had his dhrink, he'd let the whole thing drop; but that blackguard
of a sinthry has given us away. Sure I told you he would."

"Then slide down the lightning-rod! Fly up the chimney! Evaporate! Dry
up and blow away, but get _out_! You can't come in here."

"Oh, for mercy's sake, Waring! Sure 'twas you that got me into the
scrape. You know that I was dhrunk when you found me up the levee. You
made me come down when I didn't want to. Hwat did I say to the man last
night, anyhow?"

"Say to him? Poor devil! why, you never can remember after you're drunk
what you've been doing the night before. Some time it'll be the death
of you. You abused him like a pickpocket,--the sergeant of the guard and
everybody connected with it."

"Oh, murther, murther, murther!" groaned the poor Irishman, sitting down
and covering his face with his hands. "Sure they'll court-martial me
this time without fail, and I know it. For God's sake, Waring, can't ye
let a fellow in and say that I'm not here?"

"Hyuh, dis way, lieutenant," whispered Ananias, mysteriously. "Slip out
on de po'ch and into Mr. Pierce's room. I'll tell you when he's gone."
And in a moment the huge bulk of the senior lieutenant of Light Battery
"X" was being boosted through a window opening from the gallery into the
bachelor den of the junior second lieutenant. No sooner was this done
than the negro servant darted back, closed and bolted the long green
Venetian blinds behind him, tiptoed to the bedroom door, and, softly
tapping, called,--

"Mr. Waring! Mr. Waring! get dressed quick as you can, suh; I'll lay out
your uniform in hyuh."

"I tell you, Ananias, I'm going to town, sir; not to any ridiculous
review. Go and get what I ordered you. See that I'm properly dressed,
sir, or I'll discharge you. Confound you, sir! there isn't a drop of
Florida water in this bath, and none on my bureau. Go and rob Mr.
Pierce,--or anybody."

But Ananias was already gone. Darting out on the gallery, he took a
header through the window of the adjoining quarters through which Mr.
Doyle had escaped, snatched a long flask from the dressing-table, and
was back in the twinkling of an eye.