"How is this, sir?--explain yourself!" thundered my Lord, forgetting
for once his mild suavity.
"'Tis but a brief tale, and I will make it as crisp as may be in the
telling," I replied. "I came upon the major some miles this side of the
crossing of the Broad. He was marching to rejoin you, in accordance with
his orders. But when he had your Lordship's command to stand and fight,
he obeyed."
"My command?--but I gave him no such order!"
"Nay, truly, you did not--neither in the original nor in the duplicate,
my Lord. But when we had waylaid Lieutenant Tybee and quenched the
duplicate, and had so amended the original as to make it fit our
purpose, the brave major thanked you for what you had not done and made
his stand to await the upcoming of the over-mountain men."
For a moment I thought they would hew me limb from limb, but my Lord
quelled the fierce outburst with a word.
"Put up your swords, gentlemen. We shall know how to deal with this
traitor," he said. And then to me: "Go on, sir, if you please; there has
been a battle, as I take it?"
"There has, indeed. The mountain men came up with us in the afternoon of
the Saturday. In an hour one-third of the major's force was dead or
dying, the major himself was slain, and every living man left on the
field was a prisoner."
Again a dozen swords hissed from their scabbards, and again I heard the
little cry of misery from the table-foot. I bowed my head, looking
momently to pay the penalty; but once more my Lord put the swords
aside.
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