"Did those shots seem to be over yonder to the right?" asked the major.

I do know everything, and fail to see any trouble, so don't cry, little girl," briskly replied the inexplicable major.

" "My dear sir!" exclaimed the major, in concern"are you not wrong? precipitate, I meanIs it not better to preserve the secret, to give yourself time for reflectionto await events?I can discover no necessity for this haste.

"The negroes are a sullen race," remarked the major thoughtfully.

are you shut out by this sudden inroad?" demanded the major, with concern and surprise.

" "And their wages'll be cut off when they begin hiring themselves," added the major.

" "Who could know the regular major in this hunting-shirt, and forest garb?

" "Estate there is none, certainly," returned the major, in a tone of a little disappointment, "except the twenty-five thousand pounds; unless you include that which you possess where you are; not insignificant, by the way, sir.

To this was owing the indifference, which left the major to the care of the Spanish peasantry who had gathered to the spot, and the retreating troops had got several miles on their return, before the widow and her protector commenced their journey.

"Come on, men!" cried the major.

The messenger returned a half-hour later, reporting the family out of town; that they had taken the major to their country-place near Williamsburg, on the banks of the James.

Possibly my informant overstated the case; but in any event I would trust the major to bear himself like a philosopher.

One of them named Rössner, related the following story to his comrades, and then, at the priest's request, again repeated it: "'In the Belgian village of Patsie the curé welcomed a German major and his orderly into his house.

But I noted rather a strange circumstance which did not escape the major.

" "After us, yes!" exulted the major.

We found the two majors at home upon whom Colonel Forestier counted.

He greeted the major with his kind quiet smile.

"Faith!" grunted the major.

Ye might think Scotty'd handed the major a bit av blank paper f'r all the notice he's taking.

" "Spies hanging around, probably?" hazarded the major, in disgust.

" This was uttered in a way to induce the major to throw all the articles back into the basket, as if he wished to get rid of the subject, without further comment.

In my Bloomsbury house I installed as caretaker a retired sergeant-major of incomparable taciturnity.

However, I called at my Bloomsbury house and instructed the sergeant-major that some packages might be delivered on the following day.

Both the resident citizens invited the major to call at their places of business before he left the city.

"We can't be more than a hundred and fifty miles west of the Canaries," judged the major.