“Yes, sir,” I said, wondering; and I hunted them out, told them to follow me, and led the way to Mr Reardon’s cabin.
“Shut the door,” he said sharply.
I obeyed, and the lieutenant consulted a scrap of paper upon which he had pencilled a few memoranda.
“Now, tailor,” he said, “you will have an order for a sufficiency of white duck.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And by this time to-morrow I want twenty loose frocks cut and made after the fashion of this man’s blue cotton blouse thing.”
“Couldn’t be done, sir, in the time,” said the tailor respectfully.
“They must be done, my man. I don’t care how roughly they are made, nor how badly sewn, but they must be cut to this pattern. Get as many men as you require to sew, and begin work at once. I’ll send this boy to you soon, for you to get the pattern of his garment.”
The tailor saluted, and went off wondering; while I wondered no less, as I stood waiting with Ching for what was to come; but for some moments Mr Reardon sat there studying his notes.
All at once he looked up sharply.