The events of the day, that is, the events on which their thoughts had been centered, again furnished the theme of the general conversation. Enough wine was drunk, as Captain Huff said, with the wit peculiar to him, “to restore the equilibrium;” the most abstinent person being Captain Cushion, who that evening gave convincing proof of the advantages of abstinence, by engaging Ensign Spoonbill in a match at billiards, the result of which was, that Lord Pelican’s son found himself, at midnight, minus a full half of the allowance for which his noble father had given him liberty to draw. But that he had fairly lost the money there could be no doubt, for the officer on the main-guard, who had preferred watching the game to going his rounds, declared to the party, when they afterwards adjourned to take a glass of grog with him before he turned in, that, “except Jonathan, he had never seen any man make so good a bridge as his friend Spoonbill,” and this fact Captain Cushion himself confirmed, adding, that he thought, perhaps, he could afford next time to give points. With the reputation of making a good bridge--a _Pons asinorum_ over which his money had travelled--Ensign Spoonbill was fain to be content, and in this satisfactory manner he closed one Subaltern’s day, there being many like it in reserve. III.--THE CATASTROPHE. What the Psalmist said in sorrow, those who witnessed the career of the Honorable Ensign Spoonbill and his companions might have said, not in sorrow only but in anger: “One day told another, and one night certified another.” When duty was to be performed--(for even under the command of such an officer as Colonel Tulip the routine of duty existed)--it was slurred over as hastily as possible, or got through as it best might be. When, on the other hand, pleasure was the order of the day,--and this was sought hourly,--no resource was left untried, no expedient unattempted; and strange things, in the shape of pleasure, were often the result. The nominal duties were multifarious, and, had they been properly observed, would have left but a comparatively narrow margin for recreation,--for there was much in the old forms which took up time, without conveying any great amount of military instruction. The orderly officer for the day--we speak of the subaltern--was supposed to go through a great deal. His duty it was to assist at inspections, superintend drills, examine the soldiers’ provisions, see their breakfasts and dinners served, and attend to any complaints, visit the regimental guards by day and night, be present at all parades and musters, and, finally, deliver in a written report of the proceedings of the four-and-twenty hours.