I have endeavoured as far as I could to render the recruit's dog-story as it was given, with as little alteration as possible. When finished, we asked him how he became possessed of Prim? His answer was that he had exchanged a small French poodle with the gentleman for the little hero of the tale. Prim was allowed to accompany the recruit to head-quarters; he lived some years in the regiment, and finally got worried through venturing too near a large monkey kept chained behind the stables, around whom he was accustomed to dance and make fun of him, much in the same manner as he had done with Turk and the large dogs who passed his old master's residence at Handsworth. CHAPTER NINETEEN. For gold the merchant ploughs the main, The farmer ploughs the manor; But glory is the sodjer's pride; The sodjer's wealth is honour. The brave, poor sodjer ne'er despise, Nor count him as a stranger; Remember he's his country's stay In day and hour o' danger. Burns. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As thousands of my readers have never seen the camps at Aldershot or the Curragh, a slight sketch of each of these great military stations will, no doubt, be interesting. It has never been my lot to be quartered at either place, therefore I am unable to enter into details as regards the extent of accommodation. I believe, however, that upwards of twenty thousand men of all arms are frequently concentrated at Aldershot, the object of which appears to be the thorough training of troops for foreign service. The authorities in this, as well as many other matters connected with the War Department, display a lamentable degree of ignorance. When first the camp at Aldershot was instituted, the greater part of the men were encamped in huts built of deal and roofed with felt, and some few regiments were under canvas. Gradually the accommodation was extended, until at the present time there are numerous ranges of brick buildings erected on quite a model plan, and superior as examples of barrack architecture to anything in Europe. These are called the "permanent barracks;" the cavalry quarters and stabling, with two spacious riding-schools and other necessary buildings, such as cook-houses, saddlers', armourers', shoemakers', and tailors' shops, all being separated some distance from the infantry barracks.