Marmaduke screened himself behind the dilapidated fence, and called out, in commanding tones: “Hist! I call a halt!”
As his troops had already halted, they sat down, thinking that if Henry and Stephen were not yet prepared to receive them this delay would be in their favour.
“Corporal James Horner, do you perceive a sentinel on guard before the prison?” the would-be commander asked.
“Corporal Horner,” who could not see that part of the prison so well as the questioner himself, was struck with awe, and answered timidly, “No, sir, I don’t see nobody.”
“Sir to me! You would do better to call me General.”
“Yes, sir,” Jim returned, feeling his terrible chills creeping on.
“Lieutenant Lawrence,” said the young general, “keep order among your forces! Positively, no straggling!”
The newly-made lieutenant executed his superior’s orders promptly and effectually. “If he keeps on at this rate,” he whispered to George, “there will be fun enough to last for a year! Oh, if Henry and Steve were only here to enjoy it!”
“Silence in the ranks!” roared the general. “Commodore Charles Growler, I call a council of war.”
This was too much for the more deeply read George, and he cut short the general’s programme, saying: “A commodore commands a squadron of ships. There are no ships here that I know of—only a squad of boys.”