ungentlemanlike manner. They were
excited seemingly by the wine they had taken;
but I cannot say that they were drunk."

The Court then adjourned for half-an-hour
to the mess-room, to take some
refreshment. Every one dripping, drenched.
Then came the opening the fronts of the thick
red cloth coats, and the imbibing of brandy
and soda water, iced beer and other fluids,
and sundry violent exclamations, that it was
worse than the battle of Sobroan— more trying
to the constitution. Every one then sat
down to tiffin; and, having hastily devoured a
few morsels, smoked cheroots.

"I say, Blade," said the Senior Captain,
"what did you mean by wishing me to speak
up ? Surely you heard my answer ?"

"Mean, my dear fellow? I meant nothing
—or if I did, it was only to take a mild rise
out of you. However, don't interrupt me
just now, for I am thinking over a lot of
questions I intend to put to you, when we
get back into Court."

"Questions? About what ?"

"Drink! That's all I will tell you at
present. You don't suppose that I was
born the son of a judge of the Queen's
Bench for nothing, do you? If so, you are
vastly mistaken. Is that your Madeira or
ours?"

"Ours."

"Then just spill some into this glass. Ours
is not good certainly, but it would not do to
say so before the Colonel. Ah! " sighed the
lieutenant, after taking a draught; "that is
excellent! Yes. Drink is the topic on which I
intend to walk into you, practically. And be very
careful how you answer, or you will have the
Commander-in-Chief down upon you with
five-and-twenty notes of admiration at the end of
every sentence of his general order; thirty-five
notes of interrogation in the same; and
every other word in italics, or capitals, in
order to impress the matter of his decision
firmly on our minds. ' Was the Court
raving mad ? Witness ought to be tried!!!
folly! imbecility! childishness! The veriest
schoolboy ought to know better! Deputy-
Judge-Advocate ignorant of his duty!!! The
President insane!!!! Confirmed, but not
approved!!! ' '

"What are you making such a noise about,
Blade ? " inquired the colonel of his regiment,
good-naturedly.

"Nothing, Colonel," said Blade. "No
noise. But here is a man who has the
audacity, in our own mess-house, to asperse
the character of our Madeira." And, taking
up the Senior Captain's own bottle, and
holding it before the Senior Captain's face, he
exclaimed, looking at the Colonel, " he
positively refuses to taste it, even."

"Nonsense," said the cavalry colonel,
approaching them with a serious air, and with
an empty glass in his hand. " Nonsense!
Do you really mean to say that our Madeira
is not good—excellent?"

"No, Colonel," said the Senior Captain of
the Royal Infantry regiment.

"Taste it, and say what you think of it,
Colonel," said Blade, filling the Colonel's
glass, which was held up to receive the liquid,
with a willingness which imparted some
mirth to the beholders. " Taste it. There."

"I have tasted it," said the Colonel, " and
pronounce it to be the best I ever drank in
my life, and, in my judgment, infinitely
superior to that of any other mess."

"So I say," said Blade, filling his glass;
"but the misfortune is, he won't believe me."

"Order a fresh bottle of our wine for him,
Blade," said the Colonel, " and let him taste
the top of it."

"No, thank you, Colonel," said the Senior
Captain; "I would rather not. Remember
I have to conclude my examination."

"Ah, so you have," said the Colonel,
moving away. " But take my word for it,
that better Madeira than ours was never
grown or bottled."

When the Court resumed its sitting, I
observed that some of the members of the
Court became drowsy, and dropped off to
sleep, opening one eye occasionally, for a
second or two; others became fidgety,
impetuous, and argumentative. The President
inquired if the members of the Court would
like to ask the witness any questions.
Several responded in the affirmative, and
began to write their questions on slips of
paper. Blade, however, was the first to
throw his slip across the table to the Deputy-
Judge-Advocate-General, who, having read
it, handed it across to the President, who
showed it to the officers on either side of him,
who nodded assent. The question was then
handed back to the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-
General, who proceeded to read it aloud.

"You have stated that the prisoners were
under the influence of wine, but that they
were not drunk. What do you mean?"

"I mean," said the Senior Captain, " that
they"—

"Not so quick, please," said the
Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General. " You mean that?
—Yes— I am quite ready."

"I mean," said the witness, "that though
they had both been partaking freely of wine,
they were not— "

"Freely of wine— don't be in a hurry,"
said the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General;
repeating each word that he took down.

"Mind, he says ' Freely,' " said Blade.
"' Freely of wine.' The word ' freely ' is
important—very important. Have you got
down the word freely ?"

"Yes;" said the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-
General, having put down his pen to ascertain
the fact, and make it known to his
interrogator.

"Very well," said Blade. "Then put the
rest of the answer down, at your earliest
convenience. I am in no particular hurry."

"Well?" said the Deputy-Judge-Advocate-General