He applied himself very earnestly to mastering the mystery of drill, and it was not long before he was pronounced to be efficient, and he was then at Captain O’Connor’s request appointed to his company, in which there happened to be a vacancy for an ensign.  He had had the good luck to have an excellent servant assigned to him.  Denis Mulligan was a thoroughly handy fellow, could turn his hand to anything, and was always good tempered and cheery.

“The fellow is rather free and easy in his ways,” Captain O’Connor told Ralph when he allotted the man to him; “but you will get accustomed to that.  Keep your whisky locked up, and I think you will be safe in all other respects with him.  He was servant to Captain Daly, who was killed at Toulouse, and I know Daly wouldn’t have parted with him on any account.  His master’s death almost broke Denis’ heart, and I have no doubt he will get just as much attached to you in time.  These fellows have their faults, and want a little humoring; but, take them as a whole, I would rather have an Irish soldier servant than one of any other nationality, provided always that he is not too fond of the bottle.  About once in three months I consider reasonable, and I don’t think you will find Mulligan break out more frequently than that.”

Ralph never regretted the choice O’Connor had made for him, and found Denis an excellent servant; and his eccentricities and the opinions which he freely expressed afforded him a constant source of amusement.

A few days later Captain O’Connor came into his room.  “Pack up your kit.  The company is ordered on detached duty, and there is an end to your dancing and flirting.”

“I don’t know about flirting,” Ralph laughed.  “As far as I can see you do enough for the whole company in that way.  But where are we going to?”

“We are ordered to Ballyporrit.  An out of the way hole as a man could wish to be buried in.  It seems that there are a lot of stills at work in the neighborhood.  The gauger has applied for military aid.  A nice job we have got before us.  I have had my turn at it before, and know what it means.  Starting at nightfall, tramping ten or fifteen miles over the hills and through bogs, and arriving at last at some wretched hut only to find a wretched old woman sitting by a peat fire, and divil a sign of still or mash tubs or anything else.  We start the first thing to-morrow morning; so you had better get your kit packed and your flask filled to-night.  We have nineteen miles march before us, and a pretty bad road to travel.  I have just been in to Desmond’s quarters, and he is tearing his hair at the thought of having to leave the gayeties of Cork.”

“I think it is a nice change,” Ralph said, “and shall be very glad to have done with all these parties and balls.  Ballyporrit is near the sea, isn’t it?”

“Yes.  About a mile away, I believe.  Nearly forty miles from here.”