Less fears he, who is near the thing he fears.
With many imprecations on the rashness and folly of young men in general and of his own nephew in particular, the veteran accompanied by Dick, took his seat in the three o’clock train for Southampton.
He did not consider it necessary to take a whole first-class carriage for himself and his companion, so the presence of several other travelers in the same compartment with him, restrained his growling.
And soon after the train started, the motion of the carriages rocked him to sleep, and he slept soundly until they reached their journey’s end.
Dick, who had alternately read the morning’s papers, and dozed through the journey, woke his uncle up as the train entered the Southampton station, where the duelists had passed about ten hours before.
It was nearly seven o’clock.
“Here we are,” said Dick, gathering up his light luggage, while his uncle slowly rubbed his eyes and looked about him.
“Eh? well! yes! I suppose we had better call a cab and drive to a hotel and engage rooms first of all,” said the General, still rubbing his eyes, and being only half awake.
“I suppose we had better call a cab and drive immediately down to the docks and see if we can hire a yacht or steamboat to take us to Guernsey,” suggested Dick.
“Oh! aye! yes! certainly! to be sure! I had forgotten,” exclaimed the General.