There they learned
that the Captain, being half asleep with no chance of an enemy in sight,
dreamt his ship had been saluted coming into port on a holiday, and, as
in duty bound, returned the salute. The blunderbuss had not exploded; it
always made that grand, booming, rattling, diffusive sort of a report.
The dead hound's collar was examined, and was discovered to bear the
initials A.R. "Who is A.R.?" asked the Squire; and Mr. Nash replied: "He
is no doubt my affianced bridegroom, Haltamont Rawdon."
It was two o'clock in the morning; so the guard was relieved, and the
former sentries returned to their posts; but the Squire noticed, with a
frown, that, just as the relief arrived at Mr. Errol's beat, a female
form clothed in black darted round the stables towards the kitchen door.
Also, he saw that the minister had a most unmilitary muffler, in the
shape of a lady's cloud, round his neck, which he certainly had not when
he went on duty. His high respect for the reverend gentleman hindered
any outward expression of his combined amusement and annoyance. Muggins
came back with Mr.
Pages:
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325