'"You'll say something more than Hallo! when you see what we've got inside here," promised the corporal.
'Then they bundled my grandfather out in the light of day, and the corporal proudly told the sentry to summon the agent at once.
'"Good Lord!" said the sentry, "if it bain't Farmer Mugford!"
'Just then, as it happened, forth stepped the agent himself from the wicket, starting for his walk that he took for his health's sake every afternoon. Captain Sharpland his name was, and later on, when the Americans mutinied, he was accused of treating them harshly, but my grandfather said that a kinder-hearted man never stepped.
'"Hallo," says Captain Sharpland, halting and putting up his eyeglass. "Why, Mugford, whatever is the meaning of this?"
'"You'd best ask the Jew here, sir," my grandfather answered, nursing his sulks.
'"If you pleathe, noble captain," put in the Jew, who didn't yet guess anything amiss, "we've thecured the ethcaped prithoner—after a tuthle—"
'"And pray, who the devil may you be?" asked Captain Sharpland, screwing his eyeglass into his eye. He disliked Jews, upon principle.
'"Tho pleathe you, noble captain, my name 'th Nathan Nathaniel, of Thouththide Thtreet, Plymouth: and on my way thith morning, ath you thee, I came on the prithoner—"'
'"Prisoner be—" began Captain Sharpland, but broke off to swear at the sentry, that was covering his face with his hands to hide his grins. "My good Mr Mugford, will you explain?"