Tryphena, however, quickly filled the
shocked corporal a hot cup of tea, and mutely pressed him to drink it.
He took off the tea at a gulp, set down the cup with a steady hand, and,
looking Mr. Pawkins in the face, said: "I regret, sir, to have to say
the word; but, sir, you are a liar."
"That's true as death, consterble," remarked Timotheus, who did not
share the hostile feelings of Sylvanus towards Corporal Rigby; "true as
death, and the boys, they ducked him in the crick for't, but they's no
washin' the lies out'n his jaws."
Mr. Pawkins looked as fierce as it was possible for a man with a merry
twinkle in his eyes to look, and roared, "Consterble, did you mean that,
or did you only say it fer fun like?"
Mr Rigby, glaring defiance, answered, "I meant it."
"Oh waall," responded the Yankee Canadian, mildly, "that's all right;
because I want you to know that I don't allaow folks to joke with me
that way. If you meant it, that's a different thing."
"What your general character may be, I do not know. As for your remarks
on the British army, they are lies."
"I guess, consterble, you ain't up in the histry of the United States of
Ameriky, or you'd know as your Ginral Clinton was drummed aout o' Noo
Yohk to the toon o' 'Yankee Doodle.
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