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Soon a dark mass loomed up under the trees; the advance guard, composed of ten men. "Don't go in front of the vent-hole!" repeated Long-legs at intervals. And the first arrivals pointed out the much-dreaded vent-hole to those who came after. At last the main body of the troop arrived, in all two hundred men, each carrying two hundred cartridges.
"Mister William Willders stands before you," said the boy, placing his hand on his heart and making a bow. "Come now, Long-legs," he added, seizing Hopkins by the arm and pushing him downstairs and into the cab. Leaping in after him he shut the door with a bang. "Now then, cabby, all right, Beverly Square, full split; sixpence extra if you do it within the half!"
The citizen-soldiers emerged from their houses half dressed, out of breath, buckling on their belts, and hurrying to the commandant's house. Then the troop of soldiers, with Long-legs at its head, set forth through the night and the snow toward the forest. She looked at the clock. "They may be here in an hour." A nervous impatience possessed her. The minutes seemed interminable.
Soon a dark mass loomed up under the trees; the advance guard, composed of ten men. "Don't go in front of the vent-hole!" repeated Long-legs at intervals. And the first arrivals pointed out the much-dreaded vent-hole to those who came after. At last the main body of the troop arrived, in all two hundred men, each carrying two hundred cartridges.
"I'll take it," said Truxton, smiling indulgently. With that he picked up the weapon and stalked away. A few minutes later he was on his way to the Castle grounds, accompanied by the short-legged Mr. Hobbs, who, from time to time, was forced to remove his tight-fitting cap to mop a hot, exasperated brow, so swift was the pace set by long-legs.
"I saw it, I heard it myself, and others also have seen that she is mad." "Cannot I speak to her?" "How can you? That's just the mischief of it, that she cannot be spoken to." "You rascal, I tell you your master is at home. I am sure of it." Long-legs shrugged his shoulders and began to whistle.
"Good-morning, Madam Long-legs; already, so early, upon the pond?" "Fine thanks, beloved Clatter-beak. I have brought me a little breakfast. Would you like, perhaps, the quarter of an eider-duck, or a little frog's thigh?" "My best thanks, but this morning I have little appetite. I come to the pond for a very different reason.
"I reck'n 'twar Long-legs as made them tracks. Well! ef I hedn't seed the man hisself, I'd a swore thar war giants in these parts!" I made no reply, though far more astonished than he. My astonishment sprang from a different source; and was mixed up in my mind with some old memories. I remembered the foot!
One of the downy yellow dabs had swum two yards away from the others and his mother, after a daddy long-legs which had flown down on to the surface of the water, and had opened its little flat beak to seize it, when there was a whirl in the water, a rush and splash, and two great jaws armed with sharp teeth closed over the duckling, which was visible one moment, gone the next, and Robin drew an arrow out to fit to his bow-string.
"Eat it quick, and then be off." The old keeper sat down at the table, and began to eat his soup, having first filled two plates and put them on the floor for the dogs. The Prussians, hearing voices, were silent. Long-legs set off a quarter of an hour later, and Berthine, with her head between her hands, waited. The prisoners began to make themselves heard again.
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