the colonel said; "but just at present I expect they are not very
particular. I suppose that that will do, Mr. Cleary?"

"I think that you can countersign that, Colonel," the adjutant said, with
a laugh. "The Horse Guards do not move very rapidly, and by the time that
letter gets to London we may be on board ship, and they would hardly
bother to send a letter for further particulars to us in Spain, but will
no doubt gazette him at once. The fact, too--which of course you will
mention--that he is the son of the senior captain of your regiment, will
in itself render them less likely to bother about the matter."

"Well, just write out the letter of nomination, Cleary; I am a mighty bad
hand at doing things neatly."

The adjutant drew a sheet of foolscap to him and wrote:--

_To the Adjutant-general, Horse Guards,

Sir, I have the honour to inform you that, in accordance with the
privilege granted to me in your communication of--__

and he looked at the colonel.

"The 14th inst.," the latter said, after consulting the letter.

_--I beg to nominate as an ensign in this regiment, Terence O'
Connor, the son of Captain Lawrence O' Connor, its senior captain. I
inclose certificate of Assistant-surgeon O' Flaherty,--the surgeon
being at present absent on leave--certifying to his physical fitness
for a commission in his Majesty's service. Mr. O' Connor having been