it’s a gennelman wot knows riden, sah, and kin fiah a pistol or revolvah, I respectuously dedercates my feeble servishes,” volunteered Mr. Maguffin, who mounted and patrolled poor Nash’s beat, with a revolver handy; while the veteran ran at a regular double to the far end of the strip of bush.  “The Squiah had bettah take the field, as he knows the ground and I do not,” said the colonel; “I will command the gahhison.  I shall want the captain, the doctah, Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Ehhol—­four.  My deah sistah-in-law can shoot; and so, I believe, can Miss Halbeht, so we are seven.”

“There’s Wordsworth for you, Wilks, my boy,” Coristine remarked, nudging his right hand man.

“Corry, my dear fellow, whatever induced you to take that gun?” answered the dominie, apprehensive for his friend’s safety in the field.

“It’s no gun, Wilks; it’s a rifle.  If I only get a sight at Grinstuns, I’ll commit justifiable homicide.  Then I wish the Squire would punish me by sending me down here for thirty days.”

“The gahhison will take three paces to the fyont; quick, mahch!” commanded the colonel.

The four came out in pretty straggling order, and the two ladies named fell in beside them.

“Now, Squiah, I leave yoah command of five men, which Mr. Pehhowne will soon augment to six, and Mr. Tehhy to seven, in yoah hands.  If I have no fuhtheh need of a mounted patyol, my sehvant will join the gahhison.”

The colonel then left to post his sentries, which he did so judiciously that three were enough, namely, the doctor, the minister and the dominie.  The ladies kept watch by turns on the front of the house.  Soon a voice was heard at the gate calling for Colonel Morton.  The colonel answered the summons in person.  It was Maguffin dismounted, and behind him came two men, honest farmers apparently, one of whom led the coloured man’s horse, while the other held his fowling piece at the port, ready for action in Maguffin’s rear.

“Maguffin,” said the colonel, sternly, “consideh youhself undeh ahhest, suh.”

“I doan need ter hab ter, sah; that’s jess wot I is this bressid minit.”

“Good evening!” said the two farmers, amiably, and the colonel returned the salutation.  “Good evening, gentlemen! but I feah you have made a mistake in ahhesting my sehvant.”

“When a naygur on a fine beast gallops down on two quiet folk, and orders them to go back, disperse, and surrinder, and them coming to see after the safety of their children and friends, the only one thing to do, if you have your guns along, is to arrest the naygur.”

“Do I undehstand, Maguffin, that you ordehed these wohthy people to go back, dispehse, and suhhendah without any wahhant?”

“And presinted his pistil, too,” continued the tall man, who had already spoken, and who was the coloured man’s guard.

“Have you no answah, Maguffin?”

“I fought, Cunnell, I was ter patterole this heah road and repawt all the folkses I see on or off’n it.”