This state of privation was sadly annoying to the soldiers, and the men of my corps, or, as I am more in the habit of calling them, “the boys,” were much perplexed as to what they would do. Several desertions had taken place in the army, but our fellows did not like that at-all-at-all. “Why, then, by my sowl,” said Owen Mackguekin, of the Grenadiers, “I think Misther Strahan, the commissary, is grately to blame to keep us poor boys without mate to ate, when those _pizanos_ have plenty of good sheep and goats; and sure if they’d ate them themselves, a man wouldn’t say anything; but they’ll neither ate them, nor give us lave to do so, and sure a’tanny rate, _baccallâo_ and _azete_[20] is good enough for them.” I need scarcely remark that an argument so full of sound sense was not likely to be thrown away upon the hearers of Owen Mackguekin. From this moment our fellows determined to be their own commissaries. ----- Footnote 20: Salt fish and vinegar. ----- For some weeks there had been a general defalcation amongst the different neighbouring flocks, and the Portuguese shepherds, confounded to know what had become of them, armed themselves, and kept watch with a degree of vigilance that they were heretofore unaccustomed to. Wolves, they remarked, were not sufficiently numerous in that part of the country to effect such havoc, even in the depth of winter; but, said they, it is impossible at this early stage of the season that it could be them; and they were right, for it would be difficult to point out one regiment that did not take something in the shape of tithe from the sheep-holders. One night in November, 1811, three of the “boys” walked out of their quarters with nothing at all—but their bayonets; Mackguekin headed them. The sheep-fold they assailed was defended by five armed Portuguese; but what did the “boys” care for that? After nearly sending the unfortunate men to the other world, they very deliberately tied their arms and legs together “to keep them aisy,” as they afterwards said, and then performing the same office to three sheep, they left their owners to look after the remainder.