The wine went round, I talked to every body, and every body talked to me; with the old Captains, who “had seen service,” I talked of the Indian and American wars; to the pipe-clay Adjutant,—of drills and field days; to the Surgeon—of wounds and hospitals; to the Paymaster—of cash and accounts; to the Quartermaster—of beef and clothing: with all I was at home, and from all I bore a joke or two on my _newcome_ situation with genuine patience, nay, with some degree of pleasure. On the whole, I was pretty well _au fait_, till the time when the non-commissioned officers came in to hand round the order-book for inspection. At first, when they entered in line, and faced about with the salute, I thought they were _singers_ specially brought in for the amusement of the mess, and was listening for a glee or a song from them, when one approached my chair, and placed before me, in his right hand, the order-book, which I conceived to be the song or music-book to serve as a reference while the singers performed their duty, and took it out of the sergeant's hand, coolly placing it before me. A smile and a stare from every face were directed at me, and in a few moments a general titter went round, which threw me into no little confusion. The sergeant now in a low tone said to me, “_The orders, Sir_.” “Oh!” replied I, “it is all the same to me, what you sing; the _Colonel_ here will give you the orders.” The stiffly screwed countenance of the sergeant, in spite of his efforts, relaxed into a smile, and a loud burst of laughter rung round the table, in which I very good-humouredly joined, when I learned my mistake from the president. The mess broke up about half-past eleven o'clock, with a bumper to the new member—three times three—and the Colonel withdrew, as did the Captains and most of the Lieutenants, leaving me in company with three jolly Subs, like myself, very little inclined for “balmy sleep.” At their proposal, we sallied forth, and after a serenade or two of the most transcendent nature beneath some windows, better known to my companions than to me, we proceeded to “finish” the evening. The particulars of our proceedings I almost forget, and therefore must let them rest in the tomb of all the devilries.