ey was used to call me _Mister_ O'Donel when I was in
the army, but I've guv that up long ago an' dropped the title wid the
commission."

"Indeed: then you were a commissioned officer?" inquired Jack, with a
smile.

"Be no manes. It was a slight longer title than that I had. They
called me a non-commissioned officer. I niver could find in me heart to
consociate wid them consaited commissioners--though there was wan or two
of 'em as was desarvin' o' the three stripes. But I niver took kindly
to sodgerin'. It was in the Howth militia I was. Good enough boys they
was in their way, but I couldn't pull wid them no how. They made me a
corp'ral for good conduct, but, faix, the great review finished me; for
I got into that state of warlike feeling that I loaded me muskit five
times widout firin', an' there was such a row round about that I didn't
know the dirty thing had niver wint off till the fifth time, when she
bursted into smithereens an' wint off intirely. No wan iver seed a
scrag of her after that. An' the worst was, she carried away the small
finger of Bob Riley's left hand. Bob threw down his muskit an' ran off
the ground howlin', so I picked the wipon up an' blazed away at the
inimy; but, bad luck to him, Bob had left his ramrod in, and I sint it
right through the flank of an owld donkey as was pullin' an apple and
orange cart. Oh! how that baste did kick up its heels, to be sure! and
the apples and oranges they was flyin' like--Well, well--the long and
the short was, that I wint an' towld the colonel I couldn't stop no
longer in such a regiment. So I guv it up an' comed out here."

"And became a fur-trader," said Jack Robinson, with a smile.

"Just so, sur, an' fort-builder to boot; for, being a jiner to trade and
handy wid the tools, Mr Murray sent me down here to build the place and
take command, but I s'pose I'm suppersheeded now!"

"Well, I believe you are, Teddy; but I hope that you will yet do good
service as my lieutenant."

The beaming smile on Teddy's face showed that he was well pleased to be
relieved from the responsibilities of office.

"Sure," said he, "the throuble I have had wid the min an' the salvages
for the last six weeks--it's past belavin'! An' thin, whin I sint the
men down to the river to fush--more nor twinty miles off--an' whin the
salvages wint away and left me alone wid only wan old salvage woman!--
och! I'd not wish my worst inimy in me sitivation."

"Then the savage