As he stands thus for scrutiny, a rather lively debate gets up as to whether or not Tom bit off the end of the cartridge before he rammed it down. The biters and anti-biters being equally divided, the discussion waxes strong. The French officers, eagerly asking what may be the disputed point, laugh very heartily on hearing it. "I'll lay ye a pint of sperits she won't go off," cries one. "Done! for two noggins, if he pulls strong," rejoins another. "Devil fear the same gun," cries a third; "she shot Mr. Sloan at fifty paces, and killed him dead." "'Tisn't the same gun--that's a Frinch one--a bran new one!" "She isn't." "She is." "No, she isn't." "Yes, but she is." "What is't you say?" "Hould your prate." "Arrah, teach your mother to feed ducks." "Silence in the ranks. Keep silence there. Attention, Colooney!" "Yis, sir." "Fire!" "What at, sir?" asks Tom, taking an amateur glance of the company, who look not over-satisfied at his scrutiny. "Fire in the air!" Bang goes the piece, and a yell follows the explosion, while cries of "Well done, Tom," "Begorra, if a Protestant got that!" and so on, greet the performance. "Stand by Colooney!" and the volunteer falls back to make way for another and similar exhibition, occasionally varied by the humor or the blunders of the new candidate. As to the Treasury orders, as we somewhat ludicrously styled the checks upon our imaginary bank, the scenes they led to were still more absurd and complicated. We paid liberally, that is to say in promises, for every thing, and our generosity saved us a good deal of time, for it was astonishing how little the owners disputed our solvency when the price was left to themselves. But the rations were indeed the most difficult matter of all; it being impossible to convince our allies of the fact that the compact was one of trust, and the ration was not his own, to dispose of in any manner that might seem fit. "Sure if I don't like to ate it--if I haven't an appetite for it--if I'd rather have a pint of sperits, or a flannel waistcoat, or a pair of stockings, than a piece of mate, what harm is that to any one?" This process of reasoning was much harder of answer than is usually supposed, and even when replied to, another difficulty arose in its place. Unaccustomed to flesh diet, when they tasted they couldn't refrain from it, and the whole week's rations of beef, amounting to eight pounds, were frequently consumed in the first twenty-four hours. Such instances of gormandizing were by no means unfrequent, and stranger still, in no one case, so far as I knew, followed by any ill consequences.