Roy drew a deep sigh, for his follower’s words had nearly made him breathless.
“We shall see,” he sighed.
“Yes, sir, we shall see,” cried Ben. “So now, if you please, sir, I won’t wait to be getting into my buff jerkin now, but I’ll take your orders for what we’re to do first.”
“Yes, Ben; what ought we to do first?”
“Well, sir, it’s you as know. You said something about strengthening the guard at the gate.”
“Oh, but I say, Ben, that was you said so.”
“Only as your mouthpiece, sir.”
“But it sounds silly to talk about strengthening the guard at the gate when we’ve only got old Jenk, and no regular sentry to put there.”
“Never you mind about how it sounds, sir, so long as it’s sense,” cried Ben, striking his fist into his left palm. “We’ve got to make our garrison and our sentries out of the raw stuff, and the sooner we begin to sound silly now the better. It won’t be silly for any one who comes and finds a staunch man there, who would sooner send a musketoon bullet through him than let him pass.”
“No, Ben, it will not, certainly. Whom shall I send?”