The colonel would have pacified them, but Captain Muir stood out strongly, and said that if such insolence as theirs was allowed to go unpunished it would be a bad example indeed for the regiment; so the colonel paid them up to the day and gave them their papers.

It has caused a lot of feeling in the regiment, as you may guess, and the men all groaned and booed when Muir came on parade the next day, and it was as much as the colonel himself--whom they all love as a father--could do to silence them.

It is said that he spoke very sharply to Muir afterwards, and that it is likely the captain will get transferred to another regiment.

However, that is too late for the men who have left.
Their comrades are going to get up a subscription to send them back to Scotland, for you may be sure the hotheaded fools have not a bawbee of their pay laid by." "I know them all, sergeant, and I should say they would be the very men to suit me; they are all strong and hearty fellows, and might have been good for another ten years campaigning if it had not been for this business.

Can you send for them ?" "They will all be here in half an hour for their meal," the sergeant said.