ford, but I took up wi' the daughter
of a man as kept a public-house, and--well, there you are."

"And you have chucked releegion?" asked McPhail.

"Ay, there's nowt in it, and it keeps a chap from having a good
time--but I doan't know," and Tom sighed.

"I am a wee bit of a philosopher mysel'," replied McPhail, "and I have
reasoned it all out very carefully. My mither, now, is what you might
call a godly woman; my father was an elder in the old U. P. Kirk, and I
was brought up in a godly fashion. But, as I said, I reasoned it out.
I read Colonel Ingersoll's Lectures, and he proved to me that Moses
made a lot of mistakes. So, weel, presently I got fond of whisky, and
I came to the conclusion that releegion was not logical."

"I reckon as you're none too logical," replied Tom.

"Ay, man, but I was well groonded in the fundamentals! I could say the
Shorter Catechism when I was a wee kiddie of seven years old! How am I
no logical?"

"After all," replied Tom, "it's noan logical to give up religion
because of Colonel Ingersoll's Lectures. The religion my Alice had
went deeper nor that. Ay, but there, I am a fool to be talking about
it. Good night, McPhail, I will go back now." And Tom went back
towards the town alone.

The following Saturday night Tom was again drunk and disorderly. This
time he did not escape punishment. Tom never felt so degraded in his
life as when he was undergoing that punishment. He had joined the Army
under the influence of a noble impulse. He had felt that he was doing
a noble thing. Not that he was proud of it, because in reality he
could do nothing else; when he came to think of it afterwards he knew
that he was doing nothing but his duty. All the same he was elated by
his action. It had made him hold his head higher, and made his heart
beat fast; now, after a little more than three months' training, he had
actually been called before his officers for being a disgrace to his
company. The colonel, who was a stern soldier, was also a kindly
gentleman. He recognised at a glance that Tom was not a gutter lad;
saw, too, that he had the making of a man in him. That was the reason
perhaps why he used stronger language than usual, and for meting out a
heavier punishment.

"What excuse have you for yourself?" asked the colonel. "You have
evidently had some education and were meant for better things. Why did
you make a beast of yourself?" His words cut Tom like a knife. "Make