day, nor better hope for the morrow, unless some of ye be shrewd enough to tell me how we may fill hungry stomachs out of empty magazines."

"I undertake to find subsistence for the whole army for one day," said Ferguson, “if I may have the command of it for a single minute."

"How say you, Fletcher ?" cried the Duke, taking out his watch; may we trust him thus long ?"

r

"Your Royal Highness has known Mr. Ferguson longer than I have," replied Fletcher, sarcastically; “and I see you have prudently prepared yourself to limit your confidence to the period of sixty seconds."

"My Lord Grey, Sir Patrick Hume, Trenchard;" resumed the Duke, turning to the parties thus designated-" you are of my staff and council; have I your sanction to this desperate measure ?"

All signified their assent that he should accept the offer, not a little curious to understand its meaning, and to learn how this sudden ca

terer for a whole army would redeem his

pledge.

Ferguson!" exclaimed the Duke, going up to him and fixing his eye upon his watch, "I appoint you Generalissimo for the minute; but, be quick as thought in issuing your command, for five seconds of your generalship have already slipped away."

"I order that the soldiers shall observe a solemn fast to-morrow, for our success," cried Ferguson,―a solution of the difficulty at once so satisfactory and so unexpected, that the Duke laughed as he again pocketed his watch, and the company unanimously agreed that no commander had ever done so much for his army in so short a space of time, or hit upon a more economical expedient for supplying their wants. Finding his companions restored to good humour, and his troops provided for the next day, the Duke took Reuben apart, and inquired whether he felt competent to discharge any species of command, adding that they were much in want of officers, and that he should be happy to give him any commission

VOL. I.

L

to the duties of which he considered himself adequate. Upon learning his utter ignorance of military duty, he recommended him to attach himself to his friend Fludyer, as a sort of general aid-de-camp, a situation in which he would soon acquire such an insight into the soldier's profession as would qualify him for a more prominent appointment; and giving him warm assurances of his favour and protection, he dismissed him to commence his new career.

Fludyer was now in his element and in all his glory, attending to every body's business as well as his own, perpetually bustling and in full motion, like a squirrel in a cage, without making much more progress; as full of zeal and energy as he was deficient in method and forethought, thinking everything to be achieved when he had conquered the little difficulties of the moment, and no further troubling his head about the future than as it would consummate that success of which his sanguine and enthusiastic temperament did not permit him to harbour the sha dow of a doubt. In every momentary pause of speech or action, and he seldom allowed

himself one of longer duration, he rubbed his hands rapidly together, while his prominent, lamp-like eyes sparkled, and his thin sallow visage flared with joy as he contemplated the hubbub and confusion which he had assisted in conjuring up, and by which he hoped to keep himself for some time to come in the midst of the strife, agitation, and danger which were so congenial to his turbulent nature. Under such a stirring busybody Reuben was allowed little time for reflection, and scarcely sufficient leisure for the paramount duty of equipping himself. The first recruits had exhausted all the arms brought over by the Duke, and Reuben, who was not yet sufficiently imbued with the soldier's morality to hold himself warranted in seizing what he wanted, considered himself fortunate in being enabled to purchase a sword and a brace of pistols. To avoid the wrangling and even the fighting for weapons, of which he had already seen several instances, he thought proper to secure the possession of his pistols by having his name engraved upon their hilt: an old baldrick of untanned leather

served to support them as well as his sword. B nearly emptying his slender purse, he had pu chased a helmet which was very little the wors for wear, and not much too big for him; an thus accoutred, the late pensive and stud ous collegian, suddenly transformed into an ii regular soldier, and engaged in rebellion gainst his sovereign, presented himself to hi commanding officer.

Nothing was now wanting to complete hi equipment but that most essential article horse, which his slender finances would no enable him to purchase, but which Fludyer infinitely less scrupulous than his aid-de-camp presently procured for him by the simple expe dient of seizure. Mounted upon this animal which proved to be a fleet and good one, he was dispatched in various directions with orders res pecting forage and provisions, a service which occupied him till a late hour; when, overcome with the fatigues of the first day's campaigning, he was happy to throw himself down upon some clean straw in a barn, the best quarters that he could procure, where he slept soundly till day