the walls of the castle. The colonel of the regiment met them as
they marched in.

"Well, Captain Lowther, you have had a rough time of it, I reckon.
I thought the whole camp was going to be blown away last night.
These are the recruits from Southampton, I suppose?"

"Yes, colonel, what there is left of them; they certainly had a
baddish twelve hours of it."

"Form them in line," the colonel said, "and let me have a look at
them. They are all ready and willing to serve her majesty, I hope,"
he added with a grim smile.

"They are all ready, no doubt," Captain Lowther replied; "as to
their willingness I can't say so much. Some half dozen or so agreed
at once to join without giving any trouble, foremost among them
that lad at the end of the line, who, Sergeant Edwards tells me,
is a fine young fellow and likely to do credit to the regiment;
the rest chose to be sulky, and have suffered for it by being kept
below during the voyage. However, I think all their nonsense is
knocked out of them now."

The colonel walked along the line and examined the men.

"A sturdy set of fellows," he said to the captain, "when they have
got over their buffeting. Now, my lads," he went on, addressing the
men, "you have all been pressed to serve her majesty in accordance
with act of parliament, and though some of you may not like it
just at present, you will soon get over that and take to it kindly