“‘The colors of the 6th Foot. Come, Major, off with your stock.’
“‘Where is Dan now; what is he doing?’—for I could see nothing myself.
“‘He’s riding beside Sir Arthur. They all seem laughing.’
“‘God forgive them! what an awful retrospect this will prove to some of them.’
“‘Time’s up!’ said Gronow, jumping up, and replacing his watch in his pocket.
“‘Provost-Marshal, be quick now—’
“‘Eh! what’s that?—there, I see it waving! There’s a shout too!’
“‘Ay, by Jove! so it is; well, you’re saved this time, Major; that’s the signal.’
“So saying, Gronow formed his fellows in line and resumed his march quite coolly, leaving me alone on the roadside to meditate over martial law and my pernicious taste for relics.
“Well, Charley, this gave me a great shock, and I think, too, it must have had a great effect upon Sir Arthur himself; but, upon my life, he has wonderful nerves. I met him one day afterwards at dinner in Lisbon; he looked at me very hard for a few seconds: ‘Eh, Monsoon! Major Monsoon, I think?’