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Updated: May 2, 2025
McGilveray sat down on the bench, and in five minutes his feet were shackled, while a chain fastened to a staple in the wall held him in secure captivity. "How you like yourself now?" asked a huge French corporal who had learned English from an English girl at St. Malo years before.
The corporal stayed when the others went out, and, in broken English, told McGilveray so. "I'll play a hornpipe, an' his gory shroud is round him," said McGilveray. The corporal grinned from ear to ear. "You like a chew tabac?" said he, pulling out a dirty knob of a black plug. McGilveray had found a man after his own heart.
Alert-minded drunk or sober, drunk, he was lightning-tongued, and he could play as well drunk as sober, too; but more than once a sympathetic officer altered the tactics that McGilveray might not be compelled to march, and so expose his condition. Standing still he was quite fit for duty. He never got really drunk "at the top." His brain was always clear, no matter how useless were his legs.
McGilveray, still intoxicated but intelligent, watched them go in silence. As General Wolfe was about to enter the boat which was to convey him to the flag-ship, he saw McGilveray, who was waiting under guard to be taken to Major Hardy's post at Point Levis. The General knew him well, and looked at him half sadly, half sternly.
"You will pay for that," said the girl to the sentry, with quick anger. "Do you love me, Irishman?" she added, to McGilveray. "I do aw, wurra, wurra, I do!" said McGilveray. "Then you come and get me by ze front door of ze city," said she, and a couple of quick strokes sent her canoe out into the dusky middle of the stream; and she was soon lost to view. "Aw, the loike o' that!
After the corporal had emptied one pocket, "Now the other, man-o-wee- wee!" said McGilveray, and presently the two were drinking what the flask from the "trousies pocket" contained. So well did McGilveray work upon the Frenchman's bonhomie that the corporal promised he should escape.
Alert-minded drunk or sober, drunk, he was lightning-tongued, and he could play as well drunk as sober, too; but more than once a sympathetic officer altered the tactics that McGilveray might not be compelled to march, and so expose his condition. Standing still he was quite fit for duty. He never got really drunk "at the top." His brain was always clear, no matter how useless were his legs.
The General praised him for his courage, and told him that the charge against him should be withdrawn. "You've wiped all out, McGilveray," said Wolfe. "We see you are no traitor." "Only a fool of a bandmaster who wanted wan toon more, yer Excillincy," said McGilveray. "Beware drink, beware women," answered the General. But advice of that sort is thrown away on such as McGilveray.
When the sergeant-major suggested a woman, they howled him down, for they said McGilveray had not made love to women since the day of his weaning, and had drunk consistently all the time. Yet it was a woman.
"I knew you were free with drink, McGilveray," he said, "but I did not think you were a traitor to your country too." McGilveray saluted, and did not answer. "You might have waited till after to-morrow, man," said the General, his eyes flashing. "My soldiers should have good music to-morrow." McGilveray saluted again, but made no answer.
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