They marched off the erring Flint, who had subsided suddenly, and became quite rational again; but it would not do to let him get abroad that night, so he was kept under arrest.
“Who’s that fellow?” said Jim. “If he belonged to my corps I’d bundle him out, sharp.”
“Yis; it’s bad enough havin’ such a chap in it as Jack Armitage. He’s a handful in himself, bedad.”
“Well, I’m going to turn in,” said Naylor. “Any one going my way?”
“Yis; hould on,” replied the doctor—and there was a general move made. Now and then a burst of laughter came from one of the tents, which, like this one, had been holding festival; but for the rest the camp was in slumbrous quiet, only disturbed by the occasional challenge of sentry, or the footfall of such loiterers as these our friends.
“Jim,” said Claverton, the last thing as he bade him good-night, “I’ve made up my mind about that offer of yours.”
“You’ll take it?”
“Yes.”
In the morning, who should turn up but Hicks and some twenty others, whose restless spirits would not allow them to remain quiet at home; and later in the day two more troops of burghers from the Western districts. And the available forces being thus strengthened, it was resolved that a forward move should take place at once.