Dublin was reached in the afternoon.  The town presented a festive appearance.  The principal streets were still draped with the flags which had been hung out at the king’s entry, five days before.  The streets were thronged with people, for loyalists had come in from all parts of the country to welcome the king.

Large numbers of men, belonging to the newly raised regiments, wandered among the crowd, and with these were mingled the French uniforms of the Irish troops who had come over with James.  The troop was loudly cheered by the crowd, as it passed through the town to the spot assigned to it in the camp of the force gathered near the city.  Walter and Larry rode a short distance behind the troop, and joined it as soon as it reached the ground allotted to it.

“It was a brave sight, father, was it not, to see the city decked out, and all the people cheering for the king?  Dublin is setting a fine example—­isn’t it?”

“You must not set much weight upon the cheering of a crowd, Walter.  I do not say that the people of Dublin may not, at the present moment, be loyal to the king; but if he were defeated, and William were to march in, you would see that they would cheer him just as heartily.  The mob of London cheered King James, as he passed through it, a week before he was so ill advised as to fly; and they threw up their hats for joy, a fortnight later, for William.  No, my boy—­there is no dependence on a mob.  They worship success, and the king who is present is sure to be vastly more dear to them than the king who is absent.

“And now you had better help Larry picket your horses.  Put them by the side of mine.  See how the troopers fasten theirs, and do yours the same.  When that is done, send Larry to get hold of some wood, and light a fire.  It will be cold when the sun goes down.  As for food, we have brought enough with us for tonight.  Tomorrow, I suppose, we shall get rations.”

Captain Davenant now posted a certain number of men to look after the horses, and the rest set off to cut firewood; and, in an hour, four or five great fires were blazing.  Forage was served out for the horses, from the stores which had been collected, and also a truss of straw to every three soldiers, as bedding.

Walter had, in the meantime, strolled away among the other camps, and was greatly amused at the various shifts and contrivances that the men had made to make themselves comfortable.  A few only of the officers had tents; for these, as well as all other necessaries of war, were wanting; and the troops who had, for some little time, been in camp there, had raised all sorts of shelter from the weather.  Some had constructed little huts of turf, thatched with straw or rushes; others had erected little tents, some of sailcloth obtained from the shipping, others of blankets, coarse linen cloaks, or any other articles on which they could lay hands.  All were in high spirits at the prospect of the termination of the monotony of continued drill, and of the commencement of active campaigning.  Huge fires blazed everywhere, and the country, for some distance round, had been completely stripped of its wood.