"They were repulsed with considerable loss," I replied. "Six were killed or severely wounded, two were taken prisoners, and the whole body was dispersed,--I suspect, never to meet in any force again."
"Hurra! hurra!" shouted the little crowd that had gathered round, and off they ran to spread the intelligence over the place. I took the liberty of catching one gentleman, however, by the arm, before he could get away, saying:--
"On my life, this is hardly fair, gentlemen. I have answered all your questions, and you do not stay to answer mine. May I ask if Colonel Halliday has been in the town lately?"
"Colonel Halliday?" cried the good man; "why, yes, he was here not half an hour ago with his party; he may be here now for aught I know."
"Had he a lady with him?" I demanded.
"Oh, yes, a whole drove of 'em," answered my companion, who seemed a bit of a wag. "Funniest sight you ever saw--half of them mounted on horseback in their night-shirts." Thus saying, he broke away from me, and joined the principal group before the inn-door. Towards it, also, I directed my horse; but the gentlemen composing it instantly moved forward in mass towards me as soon they heard the intelligence I brought, and I was surrounded in a moment by twelve or fifteen persons, and overwhelmed with innumerable questions at once. The sheriff alone was quiet and practical.
"Glad to see you, Sir Richard," he said; "perhaps you will give us a brief statement of what occurred at Dr. Blunt's; for if you answer all these questions, we shall have daylight upon us before we have done." As it was evident I should get no satisfaction myself till they were all satisfied, I thought it best to comply with the sheriff's suggestion; but in the meantime all the other groups began to draw near to hear the intelligence also; and I was soon surrounded, and even pressed upon, by at least two hundred people.
"Speak loud, speak loud!" cried one.
"Bring him a drink," said another. "Dare say the gentleman's thirsty."
"He had fighting enough to make him so," said Zed, who kept close to me, evidently in some alarm of the results of the general objections to his colour. I went on with my story, however, making it as brief but as clear as I could, and taking care to notice the gallantry of young Blunt, which called forth a sort of half cheer from the people. But they did not seem to care much about details, and were soon satisfied. Man by man they began to drop off, or broke up into parties to talk the matter over in their own little synods; and, springing from my horse, I took the sheriff's arm, saying,--