never be after asking me to saddle the regiment with him, now that there
is a good chance of getting quit of him altogether."

"I think that he would not be so bad when we are out there, Colonel; it is
just because he has nothing to do that he gets into mischief. With plenty
of hard work and other things to think of I don't believe that he would be
any trouble."

"Do you think that you can answer for him, O'Connor?"

"Indeed and I cannot," the captain laughed; "but I will answer for it that
he will not joke with you, Colonel. The lad is really steady enough, and I
am sure that if he were in the regiment he would not dream of playing
tricks with his commanding officer, whatever else he might do."

"That goes a long way towards removing my objection," the colonel said,
with a twinkle in his eye; "but he is too young for a volunteer--a
volunteer is the sort of man to be the first to climb a breach, or to risk
his life in some desperate enterprise, so as to win a commission. But
there is another way. I had a letter yesterday from the Horse Guards,
saying that as I am two ensigns short, they had appointed one who will
join us at Cork, and that they gave me the right of nominating another. I
own that Terence occurred to me, but sixteen is the youngest limit of age,
and he must be certified and all that by the doctor. Now Daly is away on
leave, and is to join us at Cork; but O'Flaherty would do; still, I don't
know how he would get over the difficulty about the age."

"Trust him for that. I am indeed obliged to you, Colonel."

"Don't say anything about it, O'Connor; if we had been going to stay at