When I was five or six and twenty--" "You were the greatest scamp in the service," cried Power.
"Fie, fie, Fred.

If I was a little wild or so,"-- here the major's eyes twinkled maliciously,--"it was the ladies that spoiled me; I was always something of a favorite, just like our friend Sparks there.

Not that we fared very much alike in our little adventures; for somehow, I believe I was generally in fault in most of mine, as many a good man and many an excellent man has been before." Here his voice dropped into a moralizing key, as he added, "David, you know, didn't behave well to old Uriah.

Upon my life he did not, and he was a very respectable man." "The King of Spain's sherry! the sherry!" cried I, fearing that the major's digression might lose us a good story.
"You shall not have a drop of it," replied the major.
"But the story, Major, the story!" "Nor the story, either." "What," said Power, "will you break faith with us ?" "There's none to be kept with reprobates like you.

Fill my glass." "Hold there! stop!" cried Power.