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

1uced myself to ivry man sober enough to re-
mimber me. was some wan in the ould days,
an the bhoys was glad to see me--all excipt Peg
Barney, wild a eye like tomato five days in the
bazar, an a nose to correspon' They come
round me an shull me, an shuk me, an tould
thin was in privt employ wild an income av
me own, an a drawin'-room fit to bate the
Quane's; an wild me lies an me sthories an
nonsinse gin'rally, kept 'em quiet, in wan way
an another, knockin roun' the camp. Twas
bad even thin when was an angil av peace.
81 talked to me old non.coms--they was so
ber-an' betune me an thin we wore the draf'
over into their tents at the proper time. The
little orf'cer bhoy he comes round, decint an
civtl-spoken as might be.
" Rough quarters, men, sez he, but you
can't look to be as comfortable as in barricks.
We must make the best av things I've shut
my eyes to dale av dogs tricks to-day, an now
there must be no more av ut
7" No more we will. Come an have dhrink,
me son. says Peg Barney, staggerin' where he
stud. Me little OFFICER bhoy KEEP his timper.
YOU'RE a sullly swine, you are, sez Peg Bar
ney, an at that the men in the tent began to
laugh.
81 tould you me orf'cer bhoy had bowls. He
cut Peg Barney as near as might be on the oi
that I'd squashed whin we first met. Peg wint
spinnin' acrost the tent.
:" Peg him out sorr,' sez l in whisper
" Peg him out q sez me OFFICER bhoy, up loud,
just as if twas battalion p'rade, an he piclin'
his wurrds from the sargint.
1.-The non-coms TUX Peg Barney-a howlin'
udLulul uC NdS-uu III JUIee minutes ne was
pegged out--chin dcwn, tight drawn-on his
stummick, peg to each arm an leg, swearin'
fit to turn a naygur white.
~ TUX peg an iammed ut into his ugly jaw.
Bite on that, Peg Barney l sez; the night is
settin' frosty, an you'll be wantin' divarsion be-
fore the mornin But for the reg'latons you'd
be bitin' on bullet now at the thriangles, Peg
Barney sez l.
''All the draf' was out av their tents watchin'
Barney ben' pegged
- 'Tis agin the riglations He strook him =
screeches out Scrup Greene, who was always
lawyer, an some Of the men TUX up the shoutin'.
Peg out that man. sez me orf'cer bhoy,
niver losin' his timper, an the non-coms wint in
and pegged out Scrup Greene by the side av Peg
Barney.
~ cud see that the 1raf' was comm roun'.
The men stud not knowin' fwhat to do.
"'Get to your tents sez me orf'cer bhoy.
'Sargint, put sntry over these two men,.
1.-The men wint back into the tents like jack
ais, an the rest av the night there was no noise
at all excipt the stip av the sentry the two,
an Scrub Greene bubberin' like child. Twas
chilly night, an faith, ut sobered Peg Barney.
''Just before revelly my orf'cer bhoy comes
out and sez Loose those men an send thin to
their tentsn Scrub Greene wint away widout
word but Peg Barney, stiff with the cowld, stud
like sheep, thryin' to make his orfce under
stand he was sorry for playn' the goat.
'There was no tucker in the draf' whin ut fell
in for the march, an divil wurrd about ille-
gality' cud l hear.
L
Let me die in glory, sez l.; Ive seen a man this
day.
g "A man he is, sez old Hother; 'the drafts as
sick herrin' They'll 60 down to the sea
like lambs. That bhoy has the bowls of a can
tonmint av gin'rals.'
" Amin seq l, 'an' good luck go wild him
wheriver he be, by land or by sea. Let me know
how the draf' gets clear.'
AN do you know how they did? That bhoy,
| so | was tould by letter from Bombay, bully
damned sm down to the dock till they cudn't
call their sowls their own. From the time they
left me of till they was tween decks not one av
thin was more than dacintly dhrunk. An by
| the holy articles of war, whin they wint aboard
| they cheered him till they cudn't spake, an
that, mark you, has not come about wild draf
in the mmry av livn man You look to that
| little OFFICER bhoy He has BOWLS. 'Tis not
iyry child that wud chuck the rg'lations to
Flanders an stretch Peg Barney on wink from
brokin' and dilapidated ould carliss like me-
silf I'd be proud to serve-n
Terence, you civilian" said Dinah Shadd,
warningy
$50 | am-so l am. Is ut likely | wud forget
ut ? But he was a gran bhoy, all the same, am
I'm only mudtipper wild hod on my should
thers. The whiskys in the heel av your hand,
sorr. Wild your good lave Well dhrink to the
ould rig'mint- three tingers-standin' up!'
And we drank.