“Please, sir, ’cause I knows they won’t, sir; ’cause it’s only that ’ere wine, sir. Please, sir, that ’ere hasn’t not got no varchy in it, like the sperrits has, sir. ’Cause, please, sir, when a feller gets drunk on sperrits, sir, they makes him rale drunk, sir; but that ’ere wine only jest makes him drunkish-like, sir; ’cause it’s only jest for a time, sir, and then it goes off again, sir; ’cause there’s no good in it, sir, if you drink a butt of it, sir. Hope no offence, sir.” “Common country wine, was it?” “Please, sir, it was new wine, sweetish-like, sir. That’s what did it, sir. Sitch new wine gits into a feller’s headpiece at once, sir; makes him silly drunk directly instant, sir; but then he soon gits sober agin, sir. Consickvent, I considers the fellers will all be sober agin in an hour or two, sir; and then they’ll be able to fall in, sir. ’Cause I knowed it was new, sir; ’cause it sparkled like cider do when it’s drawed frish from the barril, sir.” Jones’s prognosis, though not very clearly expressed, was verified by the result. Ere the loading was completed, all the men had become either sober or nearly so. Even those who had been most affected fell in, and mustered with the rest; and though our rank and file displayed some set and gummy eyes, only two or three of the worst betrayed the disaster by their gait. Hookey had thus outwitted himself. By dosing the men with new wine, (which, as all persons acquainted with the wine countries are well aware, flies at once to the head, even if taken moderately,) he had, indeed, succeeded in making them drunk at once; but not in making them drunk for a continuance. “Let alone it’s new,” said Jones, “it isn’t no wine, sitch as the fellers gits, as would make ’em rale drunk; nayther Spanish wine, nor yit Frinch wine, except it’s the jinny-wine.” The men having somehow discovered that they were likely to be put on their mettle during the day’s march, were all, in appearance, truly sorry for what had occurred. They became aware, through Jones, of Hookey’s real character; saw through his contrivance to make them all drunk; and, feeling that they had been in a measure his dupes, were savage at the artifice, and burned for an opportunity to retrieve their character in the course of the day. Mr Chesterfield now returned: he glanced at the men, and afterwards took an opportunity of speaking to me. “That fellow with the nose,” said he, “according to your account of him, must be a dangerous character. Should not steps be taken for his apprehension?” “If you like, I will go to the Mairie, and make inquiries about him.” “I fear,” said he, “you will not be very cordially seconded in that quarter, judging, at least, from my own last night’s experience, when I applied for billets. However, it can do no harm.”