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Updated: June 23, 2025
Haller, this is a paradise." "Where have you been?" "Feeding the swans," replied Clayley, with a laugh. "But, by the way, your chere amie hangs her pretty head this morning. She seems hurt that you have not been up. She kept constantly looking towards the house." "Clayley, will you do me the favour to order the men to their saddles?" "What! going so soon? Not before breakfast, though?"
"I know it," answered the major, in a frightened voice. "Curse the tree! it's hardly big enough to cover a squirrel;" and he squatted closer to the earth, pressing his arms tighter against his sides. His whole attitude was so ludicrous that Clayley burst into a second yell of laughter. At this moment a wild shout was heard from the guerilleros.
"Did you know that voice, Captain?" whispered Clayley to me, as we returned to camp. "Yes." "You think it was " "Dubrosc." On reaching the camp I found a mounted orderly in front of my tent. "From the general," said the soldier, touching his cap, and handing me a sealed note. The orderly, without waiting a reply, leaped into his saddle and rode off.
"Very pretty, by Jove!" said Clayley, in a low voice. "Pretty indeed!" echoed the major, with one of his customary asseverations. "Stylish, one ought rather to say, to do it justice." "Stylish!" again chimed in the major, repeating his formula. "Rosewood chairs and tables," continued Clayley; "a harp, guitar, piano, sofas, ottomans, carpets knee-deep whew!"
At the words `Mount and follow', spring to your seats and follow Mr Clayley. I shall look to your rear don't stop to fire hold on well. If anyone fall, let his nearest comrade take him up. Ha! anyone hurt there?" A shot had whistled through the ranks. "Only a scratch," was the reply. "All ready, then, are you? Now, Mr Clayley, you see the high timber make direct for that.
So saying, the youth departed. I communicated to Clayley the cause of my temporary withdrawal; and, seizing the earliest opportunity, we left our companions over their cups. It was now near sundown, and we were about to jump into our saddles, when I recollected my promise to bring the major.
As I turned towards them Clayley was taking a pull at the major's pewter and a good long pull, too. I followed the lieutenant's example, and felt the better for it. "But how did you find us, Major?" "This little soldier," said he, pointing to Jack, "brought us to the rancho where you were taken. From there we easily tracked you to a large hacienda." "Ha! you routed the guerilla, then?"
This speech of the major was delivered partly in soliloquy, partly in an apostrophe to Hercules, and partly to myself. "Very well, Major," I replied. "I'll take the black. Mr Clayley, mount the men on their mules: you will take command of the company, and proceed with Colonel Rawley to camp. I shall go myself for the Don." The last was said in a whisper to Clayley.
The dish was placed in our midst, and our arms were untied for the first time since our capture. There were neither knives, forks, nor spoons; but Raoul showed us the Mexican fashion of "eating our spoons", and, twisting up the tortillas, we scooped and swallowed "right ahead." The dish was emptied, as Clayley observed, in a "squirrel's jump."
Clayley and the major looked towards me with an expression that said, "Shall we go in?" There were several reasons why our return to the drawing-room was unpleasant to myself and my companions. A scene of domestic affliction is ever painful to a stranger. How much more painful to us, knowing, as we did, that our countrymen that we had been the partial agents of this calamity!
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