"There he comes, Captain Dingfield," replied the sergeant at his side.
The lieutenant hurried up his jaded steed, and saluted his captain.
"I thought I saw a fight going on here," continued the commander of the company, though Deck had never heard his name before.
"So there was, Captain Dingfield; and a very sharp one at that," replied Lieutenant Redway. "But we defeated the enemy, whipped them out of their boots, and they fled like a flock of frightened sheep down that opening;" and the reporter of this information pointed in the direction in which Tom's command had retired.
"If the Father of Lies, who is always swinging his caudal appendage over the world in search of the biggest liars, should come here for one, where could Captain Dingfield hide you, Lieutenant Redway?" said Deck to himself; for it would not have been prudent to say it out loud.
"Why didn't you follow them up?" demanded the captain, with some indignation in his tones and manner.
"Because you were in sight with the rest of the company; and I deemed it my duty to wait for orders, especially as you had sent me directions to hurry forward the bridge brigade," replied the lieutenant.
"But I am closely pursued by a force in the rear; and it cannot be far behind me by this time. How large was the detachment you fought, Redway?" asked the captain, looking behind him at the road, as though he believed his pursuers were close at hand.
"About the size of my command; fifty men, I should say."