you would not have landed at Cancale at all."

The advanced detachment of invaders took possession of the village of
Cancale, where they lay upon their arms all night; and our volunteer was
joked by his comrades about his eagerness to go out upon the war-path,
and bring in two or three scalps of Frenchmen. None such, however,
fell under his tomahawk; the only person slain on the whole day being a
French gentleman, who was riding with his servant, and was surprised
by volunteer Lord Downe, marching in the front with a company of
Kingsley's. My Lord Downe offered the gentleman quarter, which he
foolishly refused, whereupon he, his servant, and the two horses, were
straightway shot.

Next day the whole force was landed, and advanced from Cancale to St.
Malo. All the villages were emptied through which the troops passed, and
the roads were so narrow in many places that the men had to march single
file, and might have been shot down from behind the tall leafy hedges
had there been any enemy to disturb them.

At nightfall the army arrived before St. Malo, and were saluted by
a fire of artillery from that town, which did little damage in the
darkness. Under cover of this, the British set fire to the ships, wooden
buildings, pitch and tar magazines in the harbour, and made a prodigious
conflagration that lasted the whole night.

This feat was achieved without any attempt on the part of the French to
molest the British force: but, as it was confidently asserted that there
was a considerable French force in the town of St. Malo, though they
wouldn't come out, his Grace the Duke of Marlborough and my Lord George
Sackville determined not to disturb the garrison, marched back to
Cancale again, and--and so got on board their ships.

If this were not a veracious history, don't you see that it would have
been easy to send our Virginian on a more glorious campaign? Exactly
four weeks after his departure from England, Mr. Warrington found
himself at Portsmouth again, and addressed a letter to his brother
George, with which the latter ran off to Dean Street so soon as ever he
received it.

"Glorious news, ladies!" cries he, finding the Lambert family all at
breakfast. "Our champion has come back. He has undergone all sorts of
dangers, but has survived them all. He has seen dragons--upon my word,
he says so."

"Dragons! What do you mean, Mr. Warrington?"

"But not killed any--he says so, as you shall hear. He writes:

"'DEAREST