Barkington before the news of the wreck; for otherwise
he knew his wife and children would
suffer a year's agony in a single day. The
only chance he saw was to get to Boulogne
in time to catch the Nancy sailing packet;
for it was her day. But then Boulogne was
eight leagues distant, and there was no public
conveyance going. Fullalove, entering heartily
into his feelings, was gone to look for horses
to hire, aided by the British Consul. The black
hero was up-stairs clearing out with a pin two
holes that had fallen into decay for want of use.
Those holes were in his ears.

And now, worn out by anxiety and hard work,
Dodd began to nod in his chair by the fire.

He had not been long asleep when the hideous
face of Thibout reappeared at the window, and
watched him: presently a low whistle was
uttered outside, and soon the two ruffians
entered the room, and, finding the landlady there
as well as Dodd, called for a little glass apiece of
absinthe: while drinking it they cast furtive
glances towards Dodd, and waited till she should
go about her business, and leave them alone with
him.

But the good woman surprised their looks,
and knowing the character of the men, poured
out a cup of coffee from a great metal reservoir
by the fire, and waked Dodd without ceremony:
"Voici votre café, Monsieur!" making believe
he had ordered it.

"Merci, Madame!" replied he, for his wife
had taught him a little French.

"One may sleep mal à propos," muttered the
woman in his ear. " My man is at the fair, and
there are people here, who are not worth any
great things."

Dodd rubbed his eyes and saw those two foul
faces at the end of the kitchen: for such it was,
though called salle à manger. " Humph!" said
he; and instinctively buttoned his coat.

At that Thibout touched Moinard's knee
under the table.

Fullalove came in soon after, to say he had
got two horses, and they would be here in a
quarter of an hour.

"Well, but Vespasian, how is he to go?"
inquired Dodd.

"Oh, we'll send him on ahead, and then ride
and tie."

"No, no," said Dodd, "I'll go ahead. That
will shake me up. I think I should tumble off
a horse; I'm so dead sleepy."

Accordingly he started to walk on the road
to Boulogne.

He had not been gone three minutes when
Moinard sauntered out.

Moinard had not been gone two minutes when
Thibout strolled out.

Moinard kept Dodd in sight, and Thibout kept
Moinard.

The horses were brought soon after; but
unfortunately the pair did not start immediately;
though, had they known it, every moment was
precious. They wasted time in argument.
Vespasian had come down with a diamond ring in
one ear, and a ruby in the other. Fullalove saw
this retrograde step, and said grimly :  "Have
you washed but half your face, or—is this a
return to savagery?"

Vespasian wore an air of offended dignity:
"No, sar, these yar decorations come off a lady
ob i cibilisation: Missy Beresford donated em
me. Says she, 'Massah Black'—yah! yah!
She always nicknomnates dis child Massa Black
—'while I was praying Goramighty for self and
pickaninny, I seen you out of one corner of my
eye admirationing my rings; den just you take
em,' says dat ar aristocracy: ' for I don't
admirationise em none; I've been shipwrecked.' So
I took em wid incredible condescension; and
dat ar beautiful lady says to me, ' Oh, get along
wid your nonsense about coloured skins! I have
inspectionated your conduct, Massah Black, and
likewise your performances on the slack rope,'
says she, ' in time of shipwreck: and darn me,'
says she, ' but you are a man, you are.'  No
Missy, ' says I, superciliously, ' dis child am not
a man if you please, but a coloured gemman.'
He added, he had put them in his ears because
the biggest would not go on his little finger.

Fullalove groaned. " And, of course, the
next thing, you' ll ring your snout like a pig, or
a Patagonian; there, come along, ye darn'd—
Anomaly."

He was going to say "Cuss, " but remembering
his pupil's late heroic conduct, softened it
down to Anomaly.

But Vespasian always measured the force of
words by their length or obscurity. "Anomaly"
cut him to the heart: he rode off in moody
silence and dejection, asking himself sorrowfully
what he had done that such a mountain of
vituperation should fall on him. "Anomaly!!"

They cantered along in silence; for Fullalove
was digesting this new trait in his pupil; and
asking himself could he train it out; or must he
cross it out. Just outside the town they met
Captain Robarts walking in; he had landed
three miles off down the coast. "Hallo!" said
Fullalove.

"I suppose you thought I was drowned?"
said Robarts, spitefully; " but you see I'm alive
still."

Fullalove replied: "Well, captain; that is
only one mistake more, I reckon."

About two English miles from the town, they
came to a long strait slope up and down, where
they could see a league before them; and there
they caught sight of David Dodd's tall figure
mounting the opposite rise.

Behind him at some little distance were two
men going the same way, but on the grass by
the roadside, whereas David was on the middle
of the road.

"He walks well for Jacky Tar!" said Fullalove.

"Iss sar,"  said Vespasian, sulkily; "but dis
'analogy' tink he not walk so fast as those two
behind him, cos they catch him up."

Now Vespasian had hardly uttered these
words, when a thing occurred, so sudden and