"Ay," I answered. "Hold up there, and I'll take a passage."
There were but three beside the guard on top, and I clambered over the wheel up to the front seat before the coach had lost its headway. I feared most dreadfully that the driver would begin to question me at once, but, thank the powers, he did not. Keeping up a continuous clicking sound against his teeth, and gracefully flourishing the long-lashed whip, and catching the leaders now and again with the end of it most cleverly, he drove ahead without speaking.
Now all the time I was wondering how I was going to pay the fare, when the red-faced man made this matter smooth sailing.
"'E better get off before we get into the town, laad," he said, "then we won't ask noo fare o' ye."
"Thanks, very much," I said.
"Not a bit, not a bit," he returned. "A soldier on a spree wants all 'e can spend, eh?"
I nodded, and for an hour we drove on in silence. For a long time there had been visible a great square tower rising above the stretches of vineyards, corn-lands, and gardens. The country was interspersed with rich pastures in which fat, broad-backed sheep were grazing. How I drank in all the sights and sounds, craning my neck and straining my eyes and ears! Beautiful residences of the aristocracy, with wide-spreading parks, were frequent on each side of the highway, and soon scattered houses overgrowing with vines proclaimed that we were on the outskirts of the town. That the tower that was in sight belonged to some great church was very plain, but I feared to ask about it. The driver pulled up his horses, and understanding him to mean that my ride was over, I descended, after an expression of my gratitude.
The coach was barely out of sight when I saw ahead of me the swinging sign-board of an inn. My desire to feed was so strong that I fished out the gold piece from my catch-all, and determined to purchase a breakfast if it took the last penny.
Walking up to the entrance to the "Moon and Starfish," I went inside the tap-room, and found that the people of the inn were up and stirring. Calling for the landlord, I seated myself at a table by the window, and a flood of self-conceit came over me so that I almost gibbered with delight.
In a few minutes a bowl of coffee was at my elbow, a thick fat chop decked in greens was putting strength into my blood and spirits as it disappeared, my jaws worked to a little tune of my own composing, and I cared little for the future—the present was good and given to enjoy! But soon I was to be on a very different tack, for with a clatter and clanking I recognized the approach of the people I most dreaded to meet—the men who fight his Majesty's wars and eat his victuals. Five soldiers entered from outside. They were petty officers, with stripes on their arms, bright red coats with puffs at their shoulders, strings of bright buttons, pipe-clayed cross-belts, and black gaiters.