"But consider, sir, you have no crime to urge against him."
"Bah, what care I?"
"He will apologise."
"Of course he will," said Harvey, thinking it time to interpose. "Here, where are you, Mr. Mole?"
"Down here, sitting on the other end of me," responded the ex-tutor in very doleful accents.
"An apology!" said the excited officer, who had dismounted, and was brandishing his weapon as though about to sacrifice Mole.
But poor Mole seemed altogether too confused to say the soothing words required, so the consul again interfered.
"Really, Monsieur le Colonel, this poor gentleman seems to have sustained some severe injury. You will see he has lost both legs in a series of heroic actions, the particulars of which I have not time to give you, but accept my assurance that the affair of the hat was entirely an accident."
"Lost legs in action! Ah, then it becomes my duty to apologise for the hasty language I have used to a brave soldier."
As things were changing a little, Mole thought it time to become conscious, and with the aid of Tinker and Bogey, he struggled to his feet.