"They have just been served out. I sent my man down to draw the rations
for the whole wing at once, and told him to bring them up here."

"And I have told mine," Captain O'Driscol said, "to go round the village
and buy up two or three dozen chickens, if he can find them, and as many
eggs as he can collect. I think that we had better tell off two of the men
as cooks. I don't think it is likely that they will be able to get much
done that way below. Hoolan and another will do."

"I should think it best to keep Hoolan as forager; he is rather a genius
in that capacity. I think he has got round those two girls, whether by his
red hair or his insinuating manners I cannot say, but they seem ready to
do anything for him, and we shall want lots of things in the way of pots
and pans and so on."

"Very well, Terence, then we will leave him free and put two others on."


CHAPTER IV

UNDER CANVAS

In a short time O'Grady returned, followed by Hoolan, carrying a small
barrel of wine.

"It is good, I hope," the major said, as the barrel was set down in one
corner of the room.

"I think that it is the best they have; one of the girls went down with
Tim into the cellar and pointed it out to him. I told him to ask her for