making, which were rare and curious, and they were always at pains
to impress Mulcahy with the risks they ran. Naturally the flood of
beer wrought demoralisation. But Mulcahy confused the causes of
things, and when a very muzzy Maverick smote a sergeant on the
nose or called his commanding officer a bald-headed old lard-
bladder and even worse names, he fancied that rebellion and not
liquor was at the bottom of the outbreak. Other gentlemen who have
concerned themselves in larger conspiracies have made the same
error.

The hot season, in which they protested no man could rebel, came
to an end, and Mulcahy suggested a visible return for his
teachings. As to the actual upshot of the mutiny he cared nothing.
It would be enough if the English, infatuatedly trusting to the
integrity of their army, should be startled with news of an Irish
regiment revolting from political considerations. His persistent
demands would have ended, at Dan's instigation, in a regimental
belting which in all probability would have killed him and cut off
the supply of beer, had not he been sent on special duty some
fifty miles away from the Cantonment to cool his heels in a mud
fort and dismount obsolete artillery. Then the colonel of the
Mavericks, reading his newspaper diligently, and scenting Frontier
trouble from afar, posted to the army headquarters and pled with
the Commander-in-chief for certain privileges, to be granted under
certain contingencies,; which contingencies came about only a week
later, when the annual little war on the border developed itself
and the colonel returned to carry the good news to the Mavericks.
He held the promise of the Chief for active service, and the men
must get ready.