1830-3 The United Service Smoke-shop : a Winter Sketch. 545 



Vino. What became of Major Gypps ? I missed his name out of the 

 Army List at the close of the war. 



Lt. Col. Towlter. Shortly after, he succeeded to Gypps' Park, on the 

 death of his uncle ; and if you should feel disposed to take a cruise in 

 your yacht up the Bristol Channel, I'll ensure you a hearty welcome, 

 and the best bottle of claret in Glamorganshire. 



Vino. And that fine fellow, David Larkin, I saw his name in the 

 list, " severely wounded." 



Lt. Col. Totilter. Yes ; he lost his right leg the day he gained the 

 majority. 



Vino. Is he alive, colonel ? 



Lt. Col. Towlter. Ay, as well as his odd leg will let him. He is now 

 an alderman of our ould corporation, and the same good-humoured fellow 

 he ever was. (Major Claymore's voice heard without.) Here comes as 

 brave a soldier as ever stormed a breach, ay, and as good a man as ever 

 lived to honour the profession. 



Enter Major Claymore. 



' Major Claymore. Your most obedient, gentlemen : MacTowlter, how's 

 aw wi' ye ? Captain, your hand. Ah ! Mester Vino, you here ! this is an 

 unexpected pleasure ; we haan't seen you amongst us since we got into 

 our winter quarters here : wha must we thank for picking you up this 

 cold night ? 



Vino. My friend Captain Binnacle, to whom I was first indebted for 

 the honour of an introduction into this agreeable society ; and give me 



leave to say 



Beau Ben. Yes, Bob, we all knew what you were going to say; but 

 here comes a member to make up, a quorum. 



Enter Captain Cleverly. 



Capl. Cleverly. Major, you have had the start of me. Ah! Colonel, 

 I fear I shall never win my glass of grog by being here before you. 

 Binnacle, here you are, as spruce as ever, although the thermometer is 

 ten below the freezing point. 



Major Claymore. Captain Cleverty, here is our friend, Mr. Commissary 

 Vino ; allow me to make you acquainted with him. Had it not been for 

 this gentleman's care of us, the poor Highlanders would have fared but 

 badly on our race to Coruna eh, sirs ! that was a sore time, and it might 

 have been worse, had it not been for our naval friend here. Captain 

 Beenacle, the old Highlanders will never forget your kindness on the 

 melancholy morning of the seventeenth of January. 



Beau Ben. Name it not, major ; I was but the humble representative 

 of our noble-hearted skipper, who, laid on his beam-ends at that time 

 himself, could the more keenly feel and sympathize with the sufferings 

 of those brave men whom the fortune of war threw upon our protection. 

 Never may we see the day when the keys of our lockers shall be inhos- 

 pitably turned on a brother in distress, whether he wears a blue or a red 

 jacket. 



Major Claymore. I don't know how you get on this frosty weather, 

 gentlemen, but I had quite enoo to do to hold my footing ; and I begin 

 to feel the old soldier's complaint in the stiffness of my back. You don't 

 seem to mind it, Captain Beenacle, with your light boots and dandy frock. 



Beau Ben. I am well secured, major : look at these " preventive spring 



M. M. New Series. VOL. IX. No. 53 4 A 



