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As I afterwards learned, the negroes who had witnessed my capture, especially the old man who had taken me for his infernal majesty, had raised the alarm, so soon as they could venture down to the overseer's house, which was on the smuggling boat shoving off, and Mr Fyall immediately despatched an express to the Lieutenant commanding the Gleam, then lying in Annotta Bay, about ten miles distant, when she instantly slipped and shoved out.
The wine circulated freely, and by and by Fyall indulged in some remarkable stories of his youth, for he was the only speaker, which I found some difficulty in swallowing, until at length, on one thumper being tabled, involving an impossibility, and utterly indigestible, I involuntarily exclaimed, "by Jupiter!"
I found the party congregated in the piazza around Mr Fyall, who was passing his jokes, without much regard to the feelings of his guests, and exhibiting as great a disregard of the common civilities and courtesies of life as can well be imagined.
"But it don't signify, Wagtail will be delighted to see you, Tom hospitable fellow Wagtail and, now I recollect myself, Fyall and Aaron Bang are to be there; dang it, were it not for the gout, we should have a night on't!" After breakfast we started in a canoe for Kingston, touching at the Firebrand for my kit.
"My dear fellow," quoth Fyall, "we are all very sorry; the fact is, we had some d d bad shaddock after dinner, which has made us very giddy and foolish somehow. Do you know, I could almost fancy I had been drinking wine." "But hand us back little Whiffle," continued Fyall, "and we shall be off." Here Whiffie's voice was heard from the drawing room. "Here, Fyall! Tom Cringle!
Of these 66 were won: 3 lost: 5 drawn: goals for 217: goals against 45. Patterson, 2nd. Lt. Gourlay, Pte. Davidson, Pte. Buchanan, Pte. Thomson, Sgt. Fyall, Pte. Gair. Sitting Sgt. Goodall, Lt.-Col. Ogilvie, Pte. M'Guffog, Cpl. Davis, Capt. Andrew. In front Pte. Petrie, Pte. Moir. The Divisional Cross Country Run was also won by us, and we were selected to run in the Inter-Corps Run.
The door was opened by a very respectable looking elderly gentleman, with well powdered hair, and attended by two menservants in handsome liveries, carrying lights. His bearing and gentlemanlike deportment had an immediate effect on me, and I believe on the others too. He knew Fyall and Whiffle, it appeared.
The dinner itself was excellent, although rather of the rough and round order; the wines and food intrinsically good; but my appetite was not increased by the exhibition of a deformed, bloated negro child, about ten years old, which Mr Fyall planted at his elbow, and, by way of practical joke, stuffed to repletion with all kinds of food and strong drink, until the little dingy brute was carried out drunk.
Why, then, you are a most unfortunate creature; for you have never known what it was to be in Heaven, nor eke the other place. I opened my eyes late in the morning of the second day after landing, and saw Mr Fyall and the excellent Aaron Bang sitting one on each side of my bed.
"Thank you, Tom," said Fyall; "I owe you a good turn for that, my boy." "Fyall's story Mr Fyall's story!" resounded on all hands. Fyall, glad to escape the song and wet nightcap, instantly began. "Why, my friends, you all know Isaac Grimm, the Jew snuff merchant and cigar maker, in Harbour Street.
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