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Fortunately I met one of the camp-followers, who assisted me along, and by his help I got to Laffan's tent, and found my friend in the hands of the surgeon. "You are where you should not be, young man!" exclaimed the latter when he saw me. "But I want to know how my friend is," I said. "What, Duncan, my boy!" exclaimed the captain, who recognised my voice.
Cody, altering and experimenting on Laffan's Plain, is the greatest figure of them all, but others rank, too, as giants of the early days, before the war brought full recognition of the aeroplane's potentialities.
The dominie for so I may again call him having dressed in as appropriate a style as possible, as the tutor of a young English milord, and Lobo having warned us that the coast was clear, we left the house to proceed to a posada where Don Cassiodoro had arranged to send the horses. I carried the valise containing Mr Laffan's wearing apparel. My own was in the provision-basket on my back.
Under Mr Laffan's directions, our farriers had contrived to extract the nails with which the guns were spiked, and all three were mounted and got into position during the night. A vigilant watch was kept, for should the enemy really have been approaching, they would very probably attack us before daylight. Morning, however, came, and no sign of the foe being in sight.
Each night we went to bed expecting that the next day might be that of battle; but I was one morning awakened by hearing all the bells in the city ringing. I jumped up, and going to Mr Laffan's room, found him dressed, and in the act of buckling on his sword afterwards sticking a brace of pistols in his belt.
There were by this time three main centres of aviation in England, apart from Cody, alone on Laffan's Plain. These three were Brooklands, Hendon, and the Isle of Sheppey, and of the three Brooklands was chief. Here such men as Graham Gilmour, Rippen, Leake, Wickham, and Thomas persistently experimented.
I was in doubt, however, whether Juan would be particularly pleased to have Mr Laffan's company; but such an idea never occurred to our good tutor, who was not inconveniently troubled with bashfulness. I knew, however, that he would be welcomed at the house of Don Ricardo, who esteemed him for his many sterling qualities.
Jack had no shame at all, at all, in her pursuit of the old woman's money. Truth to tell, there was scarcely a woman in the Island but thought she had as good a right to Margret's money as her newly-attentive kinsfolk. Mrs. Devine and Mrs. Cahill might agree in the morning, with many shakings of the head, that 'Liza Laffan's avarice and greed were beyond measure loathsome.
Rejoicings for the victory we had gained were taking place when I returned home, wearied by the fatigues I had gone through. My father was out attending to the wounded, of whom there were large numbers, besides which many of the defenders had been killed. It was still dark when I was aroused by the ringing of the alarm-bells, and dressing hurriedly, I ran to Mr Laffan's room.
For my own part, I know but few sensations so disagreeable as the idea that one has lost one's way. We were passing along a low sandy spot, with high bushes and trees on either side, when Captain Laffan's horse gave a sudden start; and looking down, we saw a small shiny snake gliding away.
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