There was no time to be lost--the bugles were sounding--so, with a brief
adieu, Terence went out, mounted the horse and rode after the general, who
had just left with his staff, and taken his place at the head of the
column. As he passed his regiment, he stopped for a moment to speak to the
colonel.

"I heard that you were wanted by the general, Terence," the latter said,
"and I congratulate you on your appointment. I am sorry that you are
leaving us, but, as you will be with the brigade, we shall often see you.
O'Driscol is as savage as a bull at the loss of one of his subalterns.
Well, it is your own luck that you have and another's; drop in this
evening, if you can, and tell us how it was that Fane came to pick you
out."

"It was thanks to you, Colonel. If you remember, you told us at Vigo that
Fane was on board when you went to make your report, and that he and Sir
Arthur's adjutant-general read it over together, and asked you a good many
questions. It was owing to that affair that he thought of me."

"That is good, lad. I thought at the time that more might come of it than
just being mentioned in orders, and I am very glad that it was for that
you got it. At any rate, come in this evening; I want to hear where you
have stolen that horse from, and all about it."

Terence rode off and took his place with his fellow aide-de-camp behind
the two other officers of the staff. He scarcely knew whether to be glad
or sorry, at present, at the change that had so suddenly taken place. It
was gratifying to have been selected as he had been. It was certainly more
pleasant to ride through a campaign than to march; and there would be a