United States or Cocos Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I do," said I, handing him my message. He broke the seal and read it carefully. "I am glad to see you ver' glad to see you!" said he, laying his hands upon my shoulders and giving me a little shake. Two servants went away with D'ri and Seth and the horses. "Come, captain," said my host, as he led the way. "You are in good time for dinner."
"Swap my blood any time fer thet air," said D'ri. "I can fight sassy, but not fer no king but God A'mighty. Don't pay t' git all tore up less it's fer suthin' purty middlin' vallyble. My life ain't wuth much, but, ye see, I hain't nuthin' else." We rode awhile in sober thought, hearing only a sough of the wind above and the rustling hoof-beat of our horses in the rich harvest of the autumn woods.
"These greenhorns are not nice to play with," he said. "They're like some guns loaded when you don't expect it. We 've had enough skylarking." And when the sick man came out of hospital he went to the guard-house. After we had shown our mettle the general always had a good word for D'ri and me, and he put us to the front in every difficult enterprise.
His brows were lifted, his eyes wide with watchful timidity. The count had opened a leather case and taken out of it a shiny disk of silver. He stepped to D'ri, and fastened it upon his waistcoat. "'Pour la valeur eprouvee de l'Empereur," said he, reading the inscription as he clapped him on the shoulder. "It was given to a soldier for bravery at Austerlitz by the great Napoleon," said he.
As we turned that way, the other trap took hold hard; as it sprang, we could hear a wolf yelp. "Meks 'em holler," said D'ri, "thet ol' he-trap does, when it teks holt. Stay here by the sheep, 'n' I 'll go over 'n' give 'em somethin' fer spraint ankles." Other wolves were swarming over the dead deer, and the two in the traps were snarling and snapping at them.
We followed him upstairs, in the dark, as they began to pound the door. From the yard a light flashed up. They were evidently building a fire so that they would have better shooting if we came out. "May set the house afire," said the landlord. He quickly unwound a big hose that ran up to a tank in the peak above us. "Plenty o' water?" D'ri whispered. "Rivers uv it," said the landlord.
As they pulled away, Perry standing in the stern, D'ri lifted a bloody, tattered flag, and leaning from the bulwarks, shook it over them, cheering loudly. "Give 'em hell!" he shouted. "We 'll tek care o' the ol' brig." We were all crying, we poor devils that were left behind. One, a mere boy, stood near me swinging his hat above his head, cheering. Hat and hand fell to the deck as I turned to him.
"Quite well," said he, blowing a long puff. "Ready to deliver them?" I inquired. "Presently," said he. "There are some formalities." "Which are ?" I added quickly. "A trifle of expenses and a condition," said he, lazily. "How much, and what?" I inquired, as D'ri turned his ear. "One thousand pounds," said his Lordship, quickly. "Not a penny more than this matter has cost me and his Majesty."
There are wooden legs and crutches and empty sleeves in that column. D'ri goes limping in front, his right leg gone at the knee since our last charge. Draped around him is that old battle-flag of the Lawrence. I march beside him, with only this long seam across my check to show that I had been with him that bloody day at Chrysler's. We move slowly over a green field to the edge of the forest.
"Is thet air hired man o' yours a Britisher?" D'ri inquired as soon as the butler was gone. "He is from Liverpool," said she. "Thet's the hole 'n the fence," said he. "Thet's where the goose got away." "The goose! The geese!" said the baroness, thoughtfully. "I do not understand you." "Went 'n' blabbed, thet's whut he done," said D'ri. "Mebbe wrote 'em a letter, gol-dum his pictur'."
Word Of The Day