Blucher--him as got into trouble over the
Army boots?"

"No, no," said Poole. "Mr Burnett means the law that is used in
fighting times when a Commander-in-chief acts as judge."

"Oh! All right, sir. But it sounds a bit harbitrary, as they calls it
in the newspapers. I should have thought a hundred dozen would have
been punishment enough, without putting a stinguisher on a man right
out. I suppose it's all right, but I wouldn't have given it to him so
hot as that. Well, I'm glad he come, because now we know what we've got
to expect to-morrow. Do you know what I should like if I could have
three wishes same as you reads of in the little story-books?"

"Camel to come up now with one of his hot steak-and-kidney puddings
boiled in a basin?"

"_Tlat_!" ejaculated the carpenter, with a smack of the lips. "And the
inions a-smelling looshus a hundred yards away. Nay, it warn't that."

"A carpenter's tools?" said Fitz.

"Nay, but you ain't far off, Mr Burnett. What I was wishing for was
one of them barge-loads of neatly-cut timber as you see piled upon the
Mersey, run right up this 'ere little river ready for all our chaps to
unload. My word! Talk about a fortification! Why, I'd make a
sixtification of it with them timbers, and so quickly that to-morrow
when the enemy come they should find all our Spaniels sitting behind the
little loop-holes like a row of monkeys cracking nuts, a-laughing and
chaffing the enemy, and telling of them to come on."

"Oh, bother!" said Poole. "Don't talk so much. It's enough to tempt
the enemy to sneak up and begin potting at us. I know what I should
like to do." And he relapsed into silence.

"Well, what?" said Fitz, when he was tired of waiting.

"Get all the men together and make a sally."

"A what?" said the carpenter. "What for? Blest if ever I heard of such
a dodge as that before. What'd be the good of a she-male at a time like
this? I could make a guy, sir, if that would suit you."

"Will you hold your tongue, you chattering old glue-pot!"

"All right, sir! Go it! Stick it on thick! Glue-pot, eh? What will
you call me next? But what would be the good of a Sally?"

"Sally! To issue forth all together, stupid, and surprise the enemy in
their camp."

"Oh! Well, I suppose they would be surprised to have us drop upon them
all at once; but if they heard us coming we should be surprised. No,
sir; let them come to us, for they're about ten to one. We are s