The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-07-20


squint at that draf'. | knew twas
spring draf going home, for there's no rig
ment hereabouts, more's the pity
"Praise the Virgin !' murmured Dinah Shadd.
But Mulvaney did not hear.
''Whin | was about three-quarters av mile
off the rest camp, powtherin' along fit to burst
heard the noise av the men, an on my sowl,
sorr, | cud catch the voice nv Peg Barney bel
lowin like a bison wild the bellyache. You re-
mimber Peg Barney that was in ID Comp'ny--a
red, hairy sCraum, wild a scar on his jaw Peg
Barney, that cleared out the Blue Lights Jubi-
lee meeting wild the cook-room mop last year
''Thn knew it was a draf' av the ould rig
mint, an l was conshumed wild sorrow for the
bhoy that was in charge. We was hard scra
pins at any time. Did iver teel you how Hor
ker Kelly went into cliuli nakid as Ph9bus
Apollonius wild the shirts av the corp'ril an
file undher his arrum? An he was a mold
man But I'm digressn'. 'Tis a shame both
to the rig'mints and the army sendin down
little orf'cers bhoys wild draf av strong men
mad with liquor an the chanst av gettin shut
av India, an niver punishment that's fit to be
given right down an eway from cantonmints to
the dock 'Tis this nonsinse. Whin l am
servin' my time I'm under the articles av war;
an can be whipped on the peg for thin. But
whin I've served my time I'm reserve man,
an the articles av war haven't any hould on
me. An orf'cer can't do anythin to time-eX-
pired savin' continin' him to barricks 'Tis
wise rig 'lation, bebase time-expired does not
have any barriclls. bein' on the move all the
time 'Tis solomon av rig g'lation, is that.
wud like to be INTRODUCED to the man who
secreted ut 'Tis easier to get colts from
Kibbereeu horse fair into Galway than to take
a bad Graf over ten miles av country. Consi-
quintly, that rig'lation-for fear that the men
would be hurt by the little orf'cer bhoy. No
matter. The nearer my throlly came to the res
camp. the woilder was the shine, an the louder
was the voice of Peg Barney. ''Tis good l am
here, thinks to myself, for Peg alone is en-
ploymint to two or three He bein', as L we'll
knew, as copped as dhrover.
"Faith, that rest camp was sight The
tent ropes was all skew-nosed, an the pegs
looked as dhrunk as the min-tifty of thin
the scourin's, an rinsin's, an divil's LAWNS av
the ould regiment. l tell you, sorr, they were
dhrunker than any men you ever seen in your
mortel life. How does draf' get dhrunk
How does frog get fat They suck ut in
through their shkins.
"There was Peg Barney sittin' on the groun'
in his shirt-wan shoe off an wan shoe on
whackn' a tent-peg over the head wild his boot,
an singin' fit to wake the lead. Twas no
clane song that he sung, though Twas the
Divips Mass"
"What's that ?' | asked
"Whin bad egg is shut av the army he sings
the Divils Mass for good riddance; an that
names swerrin' at ivrything from the COM
mander-in-chief down to the room corp'rl, such
as you niver in your days heard. Some men can
swear SO as to make green turf crack Have
you liver heard the curse of an Orange lodge
The divil's is ten times worse, an Peg Barney
was singin' Ut whackin' the tent-pen on the
head wild his boot for each man that he cursed
A powerful big voice had Peg Barney, an a
hard swearer he was whin sober. l stood for
ninst him, an twas not me oil alone that cud
tell Peg was drunk as a coot
'Goood mornin', Peg l seq, when he dhrew
breath afther cursin' the flint central: I've
put on me best coat to see you, Peg Barney
seq [.
&" Then take it off again, sez Peg Barney,
lathern away wild the boot: take ut off an
dance, ye lousy cviliann
''Wid that he begins cursin ould Dhrum-
shtiCkE, bein' so full he clean misremimbers the
brigade major, and the judge advokit gen'ral
do you not know me, Peg 2 seZ l. though
me blood was hot in me wild being called a
civilian"
'An' him a decent married manr' walled
Dinah Shadd.
Il do not" sez Peg, 'but dhrunk or sober I'll
tear the hide off your back wild a shovel whin
I've stopped singin'
Say you so, Peg Barney? ?" says l. .'Tis
clear as mud you've forgotten me- I'll assist
your autibographo' Wild that stretched Pee
Barney, boot an all, an wint into the camp
An awful sight it was
" Where's the officer il charge av the detach
ment ? sez | to Scrub Greene-the meanest little
worm that ever walked.
"'There's I" no OFFICER, ye ould cook se2
Scrub; we're bloomn republic
g Are you that :? sez l; thin I'm O'Connell
the dictator, an by this you will arn to llape a
civil tongue in your rag-box.'
"Wid that | stretched Scrub Greene an went
to the urfcers tent. Twas new little bhoy-
not wan I'd iver seen before. He was sttin' il
his tent, purtendin' not to ave ear av the
racket.
~ saluted-but for the life av me mint t.
shake hands when I went in. Twas the SWORD
hanging on the tent-pole changed my will.
=" Can't help, sorr" se2 J.; it's strong
mans job they I'VE given you, an YOU IL be wantin
help 10y sundoWn. He was bhoy with BOWLS
that child, an a gentleman.
- St down, sez he.
" Not before my orr GER, scZ |; an touId hin
fwhat my service was
" I'ye heard av you, sez he. You TUX tn,
town of Lunghingneu nakid.
" Faith thinks l, that's honor an glory,
for twas Lift t'nint Brazenose did that job. Pm
wild ye sorr,' sez |, If Pm az use. They shuC
niVer ha' sent you down wild the draf. Sayin
your presince, sorr,' | seZ, 'tis only Lifnin
Hacierston in the ould rig'mint can manage
home draf.'
" Il nver had charge of men like this before,
sez he, playin' wild the pens on the table; an
see by the rig Citations
Shut your oi to the rig lations, sorr,' | sez
till the throopers into blue wather. By tn
ig'lations you've got to tuck thin up for tn
night, or they'll be runnn' foul ay my coolie
an maxim a shiYerarium half through the
country Can you trust your non-coms. sorr
Yes SEE he.
- Good seZ l; there'll be throuble before tn
night. Are you marchin', sorr "
10 the next station seZ he.
" Better still, seZ /; they'll be big throuble.
" Can't be too hard on home draft seZ he
the great thing is to get thin inship
4" Faith, you've larnt the half ag your les
son, sorr, sez |, but av you sthick to the rig
lations yOu'll niyer get them inship at ALL a
al or there woun't be rag aY kit betunt
thin whin you do
s3Twag a dear little OFFICER bhOy an by wa,