the door, but was withheld by a forcible grasp from Colonel Fanning, who had seized his arm and held him back.

"Hist-wait a moment," he said, "I must be off first. Here, Forbes," and he handed the gunsmith a small bag; "his excellency requested me to hand that to you. Have you nothing to send ?"

"Nothing for his excellency, to-day, colonel; everything is going on well," and, holding up the bag which contained the promised guineas, which was to pay for treason and desertion, he said: "With this we can do anything. There's something in that sound," and he shook them till they jingled again and again, as if the very sound conferred happiness, "which these halfstarved and poorly-paid rebels can't resist. Say to his excellency, if you please, that we shall not relax any effort to carry out every operation he may devise, nor hesitate at any cost to prove our devotion to his most glorious majesty."

“Now, then, I'm off. Corbie, my fine fellow, that's glorious wine," said the colonel, rising from the table.

"Finish it, colonel-finish it; you have a long pull and a stormy night before you. God bless his majesty and give him many more faithful servants like your honor," said Corbie, enthusiastically, for he was, indeed, a most devoted loyalist.

"Amen," said the colonel, draining glass after glass, until he had emptied the bottle; "and now, then,

good-night all. I don't know when I shall return; but when I do, I hope to hear good news from our trusty friends here ;" and seizing his cap, the gallant colonel strode forth into the storm, and the door was again securely barred and bolted by the loyal landlord.

"Now, then," said Corbie, seizing one of the candles which stood on the table, and proceeding toward the door whence the sound issued which had disturbed them a few moments before, "let us see what this means;" and followed by Forbes, he opened the door which led into the adjoining apartment.

"Come, who's here ?" exclaimed Corbie, holding the light over his head, so that its beams illumined the whole apartment.

"Hang it, don't stop to ask questions," said Forbes, advancing to the centre of the room, and peering about with his keen, grey eyes. "Ah! there he is," and advancing toward a large mahogany table which stood between the windows, under a large mahogany-framed mirror, he raised one of the leaves, and, sure enough, there he was.

"Come out of that, my fine fellow, and let us see who you are," and, as he spoke, he put his hand down, and seizing a huge booted leg, which half projected from the table, drew forth a stalwart man, dressed in

the uniform of the Life-guards, who, as soon as his body was free from the table, sprang to his feet, and stood gazing about him in amazement.

"Well, Barnes," said Corbie, who knew the man well, for he was one of his regular customers, "what on earth took you in there?" and, as he spoke, he turned toward Forbes with an anxious glance of inquiry, which almost said, "I wonder if he has overheard us; if he has, I'll cut his throat."

"Fact is, Corbie," said the soldier, now released from the grasp of the gunsmith, and stepping backward with an unsteady motion, "I drank a leetle too much, and I thought I would hide away, and sleep it off afore tattoo. Has it beat yet?"

"More than an hour ago," said Corbie, who saw, at a glance, the advantage he had over his man, and who was so familiar with all phases of drunkenness, he knew there was no pretence in his case. "Everybody's gone long ago. You're in for thirty-six, sure as as your name's Barnes."

"Sure enough," replied the soldier, and he rubbed his shoulders, as if he already felt the lashes on his quivering flesh. "Well, what can't be cured must be endured, and I suppose I must take 'em, as many better men have done before me."

"Do you know the sergeant was here, about an hour ago, looking for you?" asked Corbie, desirous of trying the effect upon Barnes of such a statement.

"Sure?" asked the soldier, now thoroughly sobered, and conscious of the position in which he had placed himself.

"Sure as your name's Barnes.”

"You didn't tell him I was here, did you, Corbie ?" he asked, half anxiously, half sullenly.

"I told him you had been here, but I thought you had gone back to the barracks, and so he left."

"Thank you for that, anyhow. Thirty-six! I swow that's too bad for a small offence like this. Why don't they hang a fellow at once, and have it all done with."

"Yes, and well laid on at that," added Corbie, pursuing his advantage. "You know Green is no baby when he gets the cat in his hand, and I rather guess he was made drummer especially for that."

"Well, I might as well make up my mind to it. I see it's got to come; but it's cursed hard anyhow. I wonder if your side treats men so."

"Not a bit of it. What! tie a man up and whip him, in the presence of his comrades, for a little spree! Why, it would raise a mutiny at once, and half the men would desert. Oh, no-they don't do things in that way on our side, and that's the reason our men never desert. Plenty to eat and drink, and sure pay, and sure promotion when it is earned. A day or two in the guard-house, and low diet, is quite cure enough for a small drunk but the idea of whipping a grown