MILITARY AD VENTURES. 1 75 



fanned by a nice cool breeze, the shade 

 of the foliage kept off the rays of the sun, 

 and my ride of twenty miles before break- 

 fast had just sufficiently fatigued me to 

 enable me thoroughly to enjoy the complete 

 repose of my present position. I lay thus 

 till tiffin was announced, and by that time 

 I had an excellent appetite and was as 

 " sharp set " as if I had only partaken of 

 a very moderate breakfast. I believe if a 

 hearty man is starved for a time, he subsists 

 on the inner fat of his constitution, and the 

 first good living he enjoys, the debt is paid 

 back in full ; hence my extraordinary 

 appetite, which really seemed to be quite 

 taking the form of a disease. I felt very 

 glad I was not a member of the mess just 

 then, or I should have had but little peace; 

 my friends would have made up mess par- 

 ties and invited strangers on purpose to 



