s
friends grabbed him. I run to Jack.

"'Be ye hit?' I says.

"'I think his bullet teched me a little on the top o' the left
shoulder,' says he.

"I see his coat were tore an' we took it off an' the jacket, an' I
ripped the shirt some an' see that the bullet had kind o' scuffed its
foot on him goin' by, an' left a track in the skin. It didn't mount to
nothin'. The Doctor washed it off an' put a plaster on.

"'Looks as if he'd drawed a line on yer heart an' yer bullet had lifted
his aim,' I says. 'Ye shoot quick, Jack, an' mebbe that's what saved
ye.'

"It looked kind o' neevarious like that 'ere Englishman had intended
they was goin' to be one Yankee less. Jack put on his jacket an' his
coat an' we stepped over to see how they was gettin' erlong with the
other feller. The two doctors was tryin' fer to fix his arm and he
were groanin' severe. Jack leaned over and looked down at him.

"'I'm sorry,' he says. 'Is there anything I can do?'

"'No, sir. You've done enuff,' growled the old General.

"One o' his party stepped up to Jack. He were dressed like a high-up
officer in the army. They was a cur'ous look in his eyes--kind o'
skeered like. Seemed so I'd seen him afore somewheres.

"'I fancy ye're a good shot, sir--a good shot, sir--what--what?' he
says to Jack, an' the words come as fast as a bird's twitter.

"I've had a lot o' practise,' says our boy.

"'Kin ye kill that bird--what--what?" says he, p'intin' at a hawk that
were a-cuttin' circles in the air.

"'If he comes clus' 'nough,' says Jack.

"I passed him the loaded pistol. In 'bout two seconds he lifted it and
bang she went, an' down come the hawk.

"Them fellers all looked at one 'nother.

"'Gin'ral, shake hands with this 'ere boy,' says the man with the
skeered eyes. 'If he is a Yankey he's a decent lad--what--what?'

"The Gin'ral shook hands with Jack an', says he: 'Young man, I have no
doubt o' 'yer curidge or yer decency.'

"A grand pair o' hosses an' a closed coach druv up an' the ol'
what-whatter an' two other men got into it an' hustled off 'cross the
field towards the pike which it looked as if they was in a hurry.
'Fore he were out o' sight a military amb'lance druv up. Preston come
over to us an' says he:

"'We better be goin'.'

"'Do ye know who he were?' asks Jack.

"'If ye know ye better fergit it,' says Preston.

"'How could I? He were the King o' England,' says Jack. 'I knowed him
by the look o' his eyes