a sharp
look-out till morning.

As soon, howsoever, as I heard them sleeping, and playing on the pipes
through their noses, I cried first "Tommy," and syne "Benjie," to be
sure; and, glad to receive no answer from either, I went to the aumrie
and took out a mutton-bone, gey sair pyked, but fleshy enough at the
mouse end; and, putting a penny row beside it, crap out to the coal-house
on my tiptaes. All was quiet as pussie,--so I shot them through the hole
at the corner made for letting the gaislings in by; and giving a tirl,
cried softly through, "Halloa, Mounseer, there's your suppera fora youa;
for I dara saya you are yauppa."

The poor chiel commenced again to grunt and grane, and groan and yelp,
and cry ochone;--and make such woful lamentations, that heart of man
could not stand it; and I found the warm tears prap-prapping to my een.
Before being put to this trial of my strength, I thought that, if ever it
was my fortune to foregather with a Frenchman, either him or me should do
or die; but, i'fegs, one should not crack so crouse before they are put
to the test; and, though I had taken a prisoner without fighting at
all--though he had come into the coal-hole of the Philistines of his own
accord as it were, and was as safe as the spy in the house of Rahab at
Jericho--and though we had him like a mouse beneath a firlet, snug under
custody of lock and key, yet I considered within myself, with a pitiful
consideration, that, although he could not speak well, he might yet feel
deeply, that he might have a father and mother, and sisters and brothers,
in his ain country, weeping and wearying for his return; and that his
truelove Mysie Rabble might pine away like a snapped flower, and die of a
broken heart.

Being a volunteer, and so one of his Majesty's confidential servants, I
swithered tremendously between my duty as a man and a soldier; but, do
what you like, nature will aye be uppermost. The scale weighed down to
the side of pity. I hearkened to the scripture that promises a blessing
to the merciful in heart; and determined, come of it what would, to let
the Frenchy take his chance of falling into other hands.

Having given him a due allowance by looking at my watch, and thinking he
would have had enough of time to have taken his will of the mutton-bone
in the way of pyking, I went to the press and brought out a bottle of
swipes, which I also shoved through the hole; although, for lack of a
tanker, there being no