"Yes," said I, "and you nearly laid me in the grave."
"By the powers, but I should have been mighty sorry for that, your honour."
I thanked him for his sorrow, but he continued following me towards the scene of action, and at last again broke silence.
"Is all the fight over, your honour?"
I said, I hoped so.
"I hope not," replied he.
I told him I was pretty confident of it, as the enemy were willing to give up the fort.
Hearing this, he coolly replied, "Then bad luck to them, after all the trouble we have had in building and completing that sweet eight-gun battery forenent yonder."
"Well, but my good fellow," I replied, "you cannot expect with reason more than they have to give."
"I don't mane that, your honour; it's only so much time thrown away for nothing, without getting any satisfaction for it; besides, your honour, it is quite tantalizing to one's feelings; and a great big fight would have been some kind of compensation."