' said Anne. 'These, I think, after
all.'

Simon, who had been looking hard at the latter, now said that they were
the --th Dragoons.

'All Englishmen they,' said the old man. 'They lay at Budmouth barracks
a few years ago.'

'They did. I remember it,' said Mrs. Garland.

'And lots of the chaps about here 'listed at the time,' said Simon. 'I
can call to mind that there was--ah, 'tis gone from me again! However,
all that's of little account now.'

The dragoons passed in front of the lookers-on as the others had done,
and their gay plumes, which had hung lazily during the ascent, swung to
northward as they reached the top, showing that on the summit a fresh
breeze blew. 'But look across there,' said Anne. There had entered upon
the down from another direction several battalions of foot, in white
kerseymere breeches and cloth gaiters. They seemed to be weary from a
long march, the original black of their gaiters and boots being whity-
brown with dust. Presently came regimental waggons, and the private
canteen carts which followed at the end of a convoy.

The space in front of the mill-pond was now occupied by nearly all the
inhabitants of the village, who had turned out in alarm, and remained for
pleasure, their eyes lighted up with interest in what they saw; for
trappings and regimentals, war horses and men, in towns an attraction,
were here almost a sublimity.

The troops filed to their lines, dismounted, and in quick time took off
their accoutrements, rolled up their sheep-skins, picketed and unbitted
their horses, and made ready to erect the tents as soon as they could be
taken from the waggons and brought forward. When this was done, at a
given signal the canvases flew up from the sod; and thenceforth every man
had a place in which to lay his head.

Though nobody seemed to be looking on but the few at the window and in
the village street, there were, as a matter of fact, many eyes converging
upon that military arrival in its high and conspicuous position, not to
mention the glances of birds and other wild creatures. Men in distant
gardens, women in orchards and at cottage-doors, shepherds on remote
hills, turnip-hoers in blue-green enclosures miles away, captains with
spy-glasses out at sea, were regarding the picture keenly. Those three
or four thousand men of one machine-like movement, some of them
swashbucklers by nature; others, doubtless, of a quiet shop-keeping
disposition who had inadverte