“And you, Sergeant, did we or did we not?”
“Why, sir,” answered the Sergeant, saluting, “we did; leastways you did, but I didn’t—that is, not pre-zackly as I could swear to ... me not being capable o’ seein’ nothin’ but the stock o’ Private Adamses musket as, owin’ to Private Adamses windictiveness, ’ad caught me in the ab-domen, sir, doublin’ of me up like a jack-knife and renderin’ me——”
“Damme!” roared the Captain, stamping with fury, “will ye hold your infernal tongue! Page, take ten men and search this cursed inn all over again ... the fireplace yonder first!”
The embers were scattered immediately and two zealous soldiers, ducking under the arch of the mantel, stood in the wide chimney to peer, to prod with bayonets, to pound with musket-butts until they sneezed, choked and reappeared coughing and black with fallen soot, to the suppressed delight of their comrades and the furious chagrin of their Captain, who promptly cursed them forth to their instant ablutions.
“Sergeant,” he cried, “surround this damned tavern and let nobody out or in, d’ye hear?”
“Aye, I do, sir,” answered the Sergeant, saluting; “any person so attempting to be——”
“Be off!” roared the Captain.
“Aye, sir. And if fugitive discovers hisself, we to shoot at same with intent to——”
“Aye—shoot and be damned!”
“Yes, sir!” answered the Sergeant, and with another salute he wheeled smartly, strode into the street, bellowed incoherencies at his perspiring men and marched them away to their stations.