“Hello! That you, Narcy!”
“At your service, Admiral!”
“Barras tells me you have a horse down at Solliès-Pont. Is that right?”
“Quite so, Admiral. I left my bay down there, last night.”
“What condition is he in? Pretty good?”
“Excellent! Hasn’t worked for some days. I was intending to use him tomorrow, for the inspection at Fenouillet.”
“Splendid! However, the inspection at Fenouillet is off. But I’ve got a dirty job to attend to; and I don’t see anybody handy except you.”
“Quite at your service, Admiral!”
“Good!... You know the wire is down between here and the Grand Cap?”
“I just received a letter to that effect from Colonel Terrisse.”