Dennis looked to where Simon Tappertit lay coiled upon a truss ofhay, snoring profoundly, and nodded.
"And our noble captain," continued Hugh with another laugh, "ournoble captain and I, have planned for to-morrow a roaringexpedition, with good profit in it."
"Again the Papists?" asked Dennis, rubbing his hands.
"Ay, against the Papists--against one of "em at least, that some ofus, and I for one, owe a good heavy grudge to."
"Not Muster Gashford"s friend that he spoke to us about in myhouse, eh?" said Dennis, brimfull of pleasant expectation.
"The same man," said Hugh.
"That"s your sort," cried Mr Dennis, gaily shaking hands with him,"that"s the kind of game. Let"s have revenges and injuries, andall that, and we shall get on twice as fast. Now you talk,indeed!"
"Ha ha ha! The captain," added Hugh, "has thoughts of carrying offa woman in the bustle, and--ha ha ha!--and so have I!"
Mr Dennis received this part of the scheme with a wry face,observing that as a general principle he objected to womenaltogether, as being unsafe and slippery persons on whom there wasno calculating with any certainty, and who were never in the samemind for four-and-twenty hours at a stretch. He might haveexpatiated on this suggestive theme at much greater length, butthat it occurred to him to ask what connection existed between theproposed expedition and Barnaby"s being posted at the stable-dooras sentry; to which Hugh cautiously replied in these words:
"Why, the people we mean to visit, were friends of his, once upon atime, and I know that much of him to feel pretty sure that if hethought we were going to do them any harm, he"d be no friend to ourside, but would lend a ready hand to the other. So I"ve persuadedhim (for I know him of old) that Lord George has picked him out toguard this place to-morrow while we"re away, and that it"s a greathonour--and so he"s on duty now, and as proud of it as if he was ageneral. Ha ha! What do you say to me for a careful man as wellas a devil of a one?"
Mr Dennis exhausted himself in compliments, and then added,"But about the expedition itself--"
"About that," said Hugh, "you shall hear all particulars from meand the great captain conjointly and both together--for see, he"swaking up. Rouse yourself, lion-heart. Ha ha! Put a good faceupon it, and drink again. Another hair of the dog that bit you,captain! Call for drink! There"s enough of gold and silver cupsand candlesticks buried underneath my bed," he added, rolling backthe straw, and pointing to where the ground was newly turned, "topay for it, if it was a score of casks full. Drink, captain!"
Mr Tappertit received these jovial promptings with a very badgrace, being much the worse, both in mind and body, for his twonights of debauch, and but indifferently able to stand upon hislegs. With Hugh"s assistance, however, he contrived to stagger tothe pump; and having refreshed himself with an abundant draught ofcold water, and a copious shower of the same refreshing liquid onhis head and face, he ordered some rum and milk to be served; andupon that innocent beverage and some biscuits and cheese made apretty hearty meal. That done, he disposed himself in an easyattitude on the ground beside his two companions (who werecarousing after their own tastes), and proceeded to enlighten MrDennis in reference to to-morrow"s project.
That their conversation was an interesting one, was renderedmanifest by its length, and by the close attention of all three.