"When the step was opened to me, by the promotion of Colonel Campbell to the command of the fifty-fourth regiment," replied Colonel Grant, in a trembling voice, and with the tears beginning to swell in his eyes, "I was not a little surprised, and, as you will readily believe, pleased also, to be waited on by a deputation from the non-commissioned officers and privates of the corps, to make offer to me of a purse containing the sum necessary to purchase the lieutenant-colonelcy, which they had subscribed among themselves, and proposed to present to me, with the selfish view, as the noble fellows declared to me, of securing to themselves as commanding-officer a man whom they all so much loved and respected! Campbell!--Inverawe!" continued he, with his voice faultering still more from the swelling of his emotions, "I can never forget this, were I to live to the age of Methuselah--I can never deserve it all--but--but--phsaw! my heart is too full to give utterance to my feelings--and I must e'en play the woman." "Noble fellows indeed!" cried Inverawe, fully sympathizing with him in all he felt; "but by my faith they looked at the matter in its true light, when moved by selfish considerations, they were led so to act--for they well knew that you would be as a father to them." "I shall ever be as a father to them whilst it pleases God to spare me," said the Colonel warmly, "and if ever I desert them while life remains, may I be blown from the mouth of a cannon!" "What was the result of this matter then?" demanded Inverawe. "Why, as it happened," replied the Colonel, "the promotion went in the regiment without purchase, so that I enjoyed all the pleasure of receiving this kind demonstration from my children, without taxing their pockets, or laying myself under an unpleasant pecuniary obligation to them, which might at times have had a tendency in some degree to paralyze me in the wholesome exercise of strict discipline. And we shall require to stick the more rigidly to that now, seeing that we are going on service." "We are going on service then?" said Inverawe. "We have this very evening received our orders for America," replied Colonel Grant; "and never did commanding-officer go on service with more confidence in his men and officers than I do." "And I may safely say that never did officers or men go on service with greater confidence in their commander than we shall do," replied Inverawe, again shaking the Colonel heartily by the hand.