id, "Well, I
am going to let you off. You must take your chance of getting through
your examination, considering the time you've lost. I let you off because
I feel that the experiences you have gained may be of good value to you."
Turning to the Adjutant he said, "March the prisoner out and release him.
Tear up his crime sheet."

I forget now the wonderful escapes from tight corners in the field, the
glowing descriptions of the valour of the Carlists, the number of times
that Staff Officers had asked for my advice as to the conduct of the war,
and the many other extraordinary tarradiddles that I poured, night after
night, into the willing ears of my astounded and bewildered fellow
cadets. One curiosity, however, may be mentioned. Amongst the most
energetic of Don Carlos's officers was his sister, Princess Mercedes, who
personally commanded a cavalry regiment for some considerable time during
the war.

The rest of my stay at Woolwich was uneventful. I _did_ manage to get
through the examination at the end of the term, but this was chiefly
owing to the generous help of those cadets in my term who personally
coached me in such subjects as I had missed. A year afterwards, at the
end of the fourth term, the Royal Regiment of Artillery was short of
officers. The numbers of cadets in the A Division leaving the "Shop" was
not sufficient to fill the vacancies. Some eight extra commissions were
offered to the fourth term cadets who were willing to forgo their
opportunities of qualifying for the Royal Engineers by remaining for
another term. A gunner was good enough for me, and I was duly gazetted to
the regiment.

I am just here reminded of an incident which took place on the day on
which His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge attended the Academy to
bestow the commissions and present the prizes on the breaking-up day. The
Prince Imperial of France had been a cadet with us. On that particular
occasion he was presented with the prize for equitation, of which he was
very proud. He was a good sport. He was very keen on fencing, but he had
been taught on the French lines, and, as the French system was different
from our English system he did not enter his name for the fencing prize.
But he said that he _would_ like to have a go with the foils against the
winner of the prize. I had happened to win it. The little encounter was
arranged as an interlude in the athletic exhibition forming part of the
day's function. We masked. We met