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What the devil does that man mean by telling his news before he sees the commanding officer, anyhow?" Meantime, straight across the sandy flats and up the slope came the courier, his horse panting loudly. Half-way from "Sudstown" he was easily recognized, Corporal Zook, of "Terry's Grays," and a tip-top soldier.
Stoker's day is over w'en 'e's knocked out o' time by a hammytoor, and Zook is free to bile 'is pot unmorlested in futur'." "Come, it was worth a fight to bring you to that state of mind, my man," said Charlie, laughing.
"It may be so," returned our hero wearily, for he was beginning to lose heart, and the prospect opened up to him by Zook did not on the first blush of it seem very brilliant. "When could I see this old woman?" "First thing to-morror arter breakfast, sir." "Very well; then you'll come and breakfast with me at eight?" "I will, sir, with all the pleasure in life.
To this Charlie replied by giving her an account of his meeting and conversation with Zook, and followed that up with a full explanation of his recent efforts and a graphic description of Isaac Leather. The old woman listened attentively, and, as her visitor proceeded, with increasing interest not unmingled with surprise and amusement.
"You'll 'scuse me, sir," said the little man, after the narrative was finished, "but I think you've gone on summat of a wild-goose chase, for your man may never have come so low as to seek shelter in sitch places." "Possibly, Zook; but he was penniless, and this, or the work-house, seemed to me the natural place to look for him in." "'Ave you bin to the work-'ouses, sir?"
And Corporal Zook, despite fatigue, hard riding, and dust, appeared, if one could judge by a slight twinkle of the eye, to take a rather humorous view of this exposition of national traits. Followed by two or three of the guard, Mr.
If you show yourself as ready wi' your bunches o' fives as you are wi' yer tongue, and agree to fight me, I'll say to Zook that I'm sorry and won't worry 'im any more." There was dead silence for a minute after the delivery of this challenge, and much curiosity was exhibited as to how it would be taken. Charlie cast down his eyes in perplexity.
When the late hours of night had arrived, and most of the paupers were asleep in their poor beds, dreaming, perchance, of "better days" when pork-sausages were not so tremendous a treat, little Zook went to the table at which Charlie sat. He was staring at a newspaper, but in reality was thinking about his vain search, and beginning, if truth must be told, to feel discouraged.
"An' pray who are you?" returned Stoker, in a tone that was meant to be witheringly sarcastic. "I am one who likes fair play," said Charlie, restraining his anger, for he was still anxious to throw oil on the troubled waters, "and if you call it fair play for a heavy-weight like you to attack such a light-weight as Zook, you must have forgotten somehow that you are an Englishman.
So did Mr. Holmes. He returned the greetings as cheerily as they were given; made no attempt to push through, and probably would have remained contentedly until the crowd dispersed and let him in, had not the notes of the infantry bugle sounding first call for tattoo summoned Zook and the other soldiers to make their way to barracks.
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