"Gentleman Jim" himself discovered the grapes lying about the garden and was loud in his expressions of indignation.
"Them thieves have been at the grapes again," he called out.
"Look here, missis, here is a bunch—and another, and here is some more." He shook his head in despair.
The sergeant-major too was sent for and informed of the plundering that had been carried on in the small hours of the morning.
"What is to be done?" he asked. "Shall I put a guard here again?"
Mrs. van Warmelo thanked him for his kind offer, but thought that very little damage had been done, and was of opinion that Carlo's vigilance would be sufficient to prevent the thieves, whoever they might be, from returning on a second pilfering expedition.
When Hansie woke it was past six o'clock, and the Captain was sitting near her, drinking coffee and chatting with her mother in a matter-of-fact way, evidently quite at home and glad to find himself in such comfortable quarters again.
The whole of that eventful February 10th was spent in writing dispatches and procuring articles of clothing and small necessaries for the men to take out with them; three pairs of riding-breeches, shirts, brown felt hats, leggings, boots, soap, salt, cotton, etc., etc.
Fortunately, among the few remaining men in town who could be trusted to carry out these commissions was the young man behind the counter in the store in Church Street.
To him Hansie went with a small list, which she laid before him without a word.