Here are three companies av us ever so far inside av the enemy’s flank an’ a crowd av roarin’, tarin’, squealin’ cavalry gone on just to turn out the whole hornet’s nest av them.  Av course the enemy will pursue, by brigades like as not, an’ thin we’ll have to run for ut.  Mark my words.  I am av the opinion av Polonius whin he said, “Don’t fight wid ivry scutt for the pure joy av fightin’, but if you do, knock the nose av him first an’ frequint.”  We ought to ha’ gone on an’ helped the Ghoorkhas.’

‘But what do you know about Polonius?’ I demanded.  This was a new side of Mulvaney’s character.

‘All that Shakespeare iver wrote an’ a dale more that the gallery shouted,’ said the man of war, carefully lacing his boots.  ’Did I not tell you av Silver’s theatre in Dublin, whin I was younger than I am now an’ a patron av the drama?  Ould Silver wud never pay actor-man or woman their just dues, an’ by consequince his comp’nies was collapsible at the last minut.  Thin the bhoys wud clamour to take a part, an’ oft as not ould Silver made them pay for the fun.  Faith, I’ve seen Hamlut played wid a new black eye an’ the queen as full as a cornucopia.  I remimber wanst Hogin that ‘listed in the Black Tyrone an’ was shot in South Africa, he sejuced ould Silver into givin’ him Hamlut’s part instid av me that had a fine fancy for rhetoric in those days.  Av course I wint into the gallery an’ began to fill the pit wid other people’s hats, an’ I passed the time av day to Hogin walkin’ through Denmark like a hamstrung mule wid a pall on his back.  “Hamlut,” sez I, “there’s a hole in your heel.  Pull up your shtockin’s, Hamlut,” sez I, “Hamlut, Hamlut, for the love av decincy dhrop that skull an’ pull up your shtockin’s.”  The whole house begun to tell him that.  He stopped his soliloquishms mid-between.  “My shtockin’s may be comin’ down or they may not,” sez he, screwin’ his eye into the gallery, for well he knew who I was.  “But afther this performince is over me an’ the Ghost ’ll trample the tripes out av you, Terence, wid your ass’s bray!” An’ that’s how I come to know about Hamlut.  Eyah!  Those days, those days!  Did you iver have onendin’ devilmint an’ nothin’ to pay for it in your life, sorr?’

‘Never, without having to pay,’ I said.

’That’s thrue!  ’Tis mane whin you considher on ut; but ut’s the same wid horse or fut.  A headache if you dhrink, an’ a belly-ache if you eat too much, an’ a heart-ache to kape all down.  Faith, the beast only gets the colic, an’ he’s the lucky man.’

He dropped his head and stared into the fire, fingering his moustache the while.  From the far side of the bivouac the voice of Corbet-Nolan, senior subaltern of B company, uplifted itself in an ancient and much appreciated song of sentiment, the men moaning melodiously behind him.

     The north wind blew coldly, she drooped from that hour,
     My own little Kathleen, my sweet little Kathleen,
     Kathleen, my Kathleen, Kathleen O’Moore!