a paper in his hand, walking up to
his retreat, as he calls it; so let's make all sail after him, and we
shall overhaul him before he begins to read it."

[Illustration: ANDERSON READING THE NEWS OF THE BATTLE OF THE
NILE.--Marryat, Vol. X., p. 115.]

There is a small hill just inside of the Greenwich Park gates,
commanding a beautiful view of the river and the hospital. Here Anderson
was accustomed to repair when the weather was fine, that, as he told me,
he might commune with himself. In this instance he had retired there to
avoid the excitement and confusion which prevailed; he had, however,
been accompanied by three other pensioners, whom we found on the hill
when we arrived, and, before we had been there a minute, the pensioners
had followed up so fast that there was quite a crowd. We were just in
time to hear him commence reading the newspaper account. The wind was
very high; old Anderson had taken off his hat (out of respect, I
presume, for the service), and his long gray locks were swept by the
wind, which, indeed, carried away his voice, so that it was with
difficulty that I could hear what he said. "_Second Edition_. Glorious
news! We have the felicity to inform our readers that, by dispatches
received at the Admiralty this day, a splendid naval victory has been
gained over the French fleet lying in Aboukir Bay, by Rear-Admiral Sir
Horatio Nelson, and the gallant seamen under his command. We refer our
readers to the dispatch of Sir Horatio Nelson for the details. We have
only to say, in few words, that the French fleet of thirteen sail of the
line and four frigates were, on the 1st of August last, when lying at
anchor in Aboukir Bay, attacked by the English fleet of twelve sail of
the line and one fifty-gun ship, and after a severe action, eleven sail
of the line and two frigates belonging to the French were taken or
burned. The loss on our side amounts to two hundred and eighteen killed,
and six hundred and seventy-seven wounded."

"Hurrah! three cheers, my lads!" cried Anderson, dropping the hand which
held the newspaper, and raising the other with his hat in it above his
head. The three hearty cheers were given by the crowd which had now
assembled; and then Ben said to me:

"You see, Jack, there's a lot of killed and wounded; so now, perhaps,
you will hear something about your father."

By this time I had been pushed back, first by one, and then by another,
until I was a long way off from where Anders