"Oh, thank you," said Sam. "I am really much obliged to you. But you must let me know the price, you know, Lee. The dog should be a good one."
"Well, Mr. Buckley," said Lee, "I have been cosseting this little beast up in the hopes you'd accept it as a present. And then, says I to myself, when he takes a new chum out to see some sport, and the dog pulls down a flying doe, and the dust goes up like smoke, and the dead sticks come flying about his ears, he will say to his friends, 'That's the dog Lee gave me. Where's his equal?' So don't be too proud to take a present from an old friend."
"Not I, indeed, Lee," said Sam. "I thank you most heartily."
"Who is this long gent in black, sir?" said Lee, looking towards Frank, who was standing and talking with the Major. "A parson, I reckon."
"The Dean of B——," answered Sam.
"Ah! so,"—said Lee,—"come to give us some good advice? Well, we want it bad enough, I hope some on us may foller it. Seems a man, too, and not a monkey."
"My father says," said Sam, "that he was formerly one of the best boxers he ever saw."
Any further discussion of Frank's physical powers was cut short, by his coming up to Sam and saying,—
"I was thinking of riding out to one of the outlying huts, to have a little conversation with the men. Will you come with me?"
"If you will allow me, I shall be delighted beyond all measure."