141 



THE DUKE OF W : AND THE CON- 



NAUGHT RANGER. 



SOLDIERS, like bears, are very fond of honey, and 

 like them also pay for their temerity in meddling with 

 the stores of their little colonists ; the similarity of 

 their tastes may be accounted for, perhaps, by Govern- 

 ment in its liberality giving the former a pound of 

 bread per day, but in their wisdom never deeming it 

 necessary to make an allowance of any thing to put 

 upon it : (hence how true "Soldiers never know on which 

 side their bread is buttered" ) So that those who sigh 

 after any such luxury are obliged to help themselves in 

 the best way they can. 



In the autumn of 1813, when the British army was 

 operating in the Pyrenees, a sweet toothed lad of the 

 Connaught Rangers, on an expedition of this sort, in 

 one of the picturesque vallies, about five miles from 

 St. Sebastian, was fortunate enough to discover an 

 apiary ; like a man of decision, approaches were made 

 instanter, and a hive carried by coup de main in a 

 masterly manner, which was immediately transferred 

 to his shoulders, and a retreat beaten in double quick 

 time, malgre the desultory attack which was kept up 

 by the exasperated little insects upon poor Pat's devo- 

 ted head ; after a journey of a mile or so, as the num- 

 ber of his assailants became less,, Paddy's head gradu- 

 ally increased in size, so as to cause a doubt which was 

 in reality the seat of knowledge, with one eye complete- 

 ly " done," and scarcely vision enough left in the other 

 to prevent his tumbling over the rocks, who should 

 suddenly pop upon him but " Old Douro" himself. 

 Astonished at such a breach of discipline, so near the 

 sanctity of Head Quarters, the indignant chief thun- 

 dered out in no very measured terms, " You precious 



rascal where did you get that bee hive ? by I'll 



have you sent to the Provost directly." " Here," (call- 

 ing to one of his staff, ) but before the words were 

 quite out of his mouth Pat stretched out what would 

 have resembled a hand but for the attack of the bees, 



