ticketed and catalogued, so that he can lay his
hand on the particular jewel wanted in an
instant.

MORE OF THE GRIMGRIBBER RIFLE CORPS.

OUR NEW CAPTAIN.

AUTUMN being, according to the almanacks,
close at hand, and many members of our corps
feeling bound to absent themselves from the
neighbourhood of the metropolis and to disport
in sylvan or sea-side regions, I see some chance
of being enabled to get an evening to myself to
chronicle our doings since the earliest stages of
our formation. Up to this time, it has been
impossible. I thought that when I had mastered
the difficulties of drill, my labour would be at an
end; that I might once a week lead or rather
follow the regiment to our parade-ground; that on
the other six days my helmet might have been
used as a hive for bees, or any other rustic
and pacific receptacle; that our bugler would
"sing truce" as soon as the Saturday night
cloud had lowered, and would not call us again
to arms for the entire space of a week; in fact,
that so long as we were well up in our manual
and platoon, and could put our men through
the ordinary evolutions of company and
battalion drill, more would not be required of us.
I was mistaken—as I often am, and always to
my cost. I dare say that, had we remained as
we originally formed ourselves, I could have
arranged things with Jack Heatly and his brother,
and we should have restricted our military
ambition within proper limits; but our corps
increased so tremendously, so many fresh recruits
came flocking to our standard, that we were
obliged to form a second company, who, in their
turn, elected their officers, and who chose for
their captain a gentleman who, from his
punctuality, exactitude, and strict attention to
business, seems intended by Nature to supply the
place of the late Duke of Wellington in these
dominions. He was elected because he was a
pleasant, strong, active young fellow, a good
cricketer and oarsman, and such a maniac for
dancing, that he might have been a male
Wili, or a victim to the bite of the tarantula.
He was elected, and he thanked us; the next
day on parade his true character burst forth!
He made us a speech in which he said he had
observed with regret that the discipline of the
regiment was not such as could be wished. He
was aware, he said (glancing at Jack Heatly,
who was sitting on a camp-stool smoking
a short pipe)-- he was aware that we had been somewhat
loosely looked after, but that we might depend
upon a strict supervision in future. You may
be astonished to hear that there were certain men
who applauded this harangue: rash young men
who talked about "sticking to the thing" and
"having no child's play," but I myself trembled
in my varnished gaiters. The next day, Jack
Heatly took a month's leave of absence and went
out of town, and the new captain, De Tite Strongbow
became our commander-in-chief. I shall
never forget that day! it was a Saturday, and we
had just gone through a series of the most
complicated evolutions in a pouring rain; I was in
the armoury divesting myself of my soaked
uniform and rusted sword, and privately wondering
why I had voluntarily exposed myself to so
much inconvenience, when the senior sergeant
of the regiment presented himself before me. A
pleasant man is Sergeant Piper, with a jolly
round rubicund face, a merry black eye, and a
nose that attests the goodness of the port wine
at the Sternsail and Tiller on the Essex shore:
which hotel he makes his summer residence.
But dull was his appearance and solemn his
expression as he made his military salute, and,
merely saying "From the captain, sir," placed in
my hands a large square printed paper. It was
headed with the royal arms, and ran as follows:

GRIMGRIBBER RIFLE CORPS.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE WEEK.
MONDAY.— Second squad drill at 2 P.M. by
Ensign Rivers.
TUESDAY. — Platoon drill by Ensign Rivers,
2 P.M.
WEDNESDAY.— First instruction in musketry,
7 P.M., by Captain Strongbow, assisted by
Ensign Elvers.
THURSDAY.— Second squad drill by Ensign
Rivers, 2 P.M.
FRIDAY.— Lecture on the dissection of the lock,
by Captain Strougbow, assisted by Ensign
Rivers, 4 P.M.
SATURDAY.— The regiment will march out for
battalion drill on Squash Common. All the
officers will attend. Gaiters, if wet, but no
great-coats on any account.
Ensign Rivers is oflicer of the week, and any
gentleman requiring any information on any
point must apply to him.
                                     DE TITE STRONGBOW,
                                      Captain Commanding.

I, the present writer, am Ensign Rivers, whose
name is so frequently mentioned in this abominable
document! I rushed off to Strongbow's
rooms—he lives with his father, the eminent
drysalter, but has a little outbuilding next the
stables specially appropriated to his use. As I
neared this pavilion, I heard strange sounds of
stamping, mingled, with thwacking of weapons,
and cries of " Ha! ha! had you there!"
Entering, I found Strongbow stripped to his shirt,
and busily engaged in belabouring the Corporal,
who, wooden as ever, solemnly defended himself
with a single-stick. " Hallo! says Strongbow,
"come for more orders, Ensign?" I boil over,
I object, I appeal-- all in vain. "What will
men say, when they see their officers shirking
duty?" Fruitlessly do I urge that I know
nothing" of the musketry instruction, or the
dissection of the lock; he gives me books—
enormous volumes—which he bids me study. For a
moment I waver in my allegiance, I have a faint
notion of requesting Her Majesty to be
graciously pleased to accept my resignation of my
commission; but better thoughts prevail, and I
go to work. I drill the second squad, I pass a
bright afternoon in the dull lecture-room of the