“Please, sir, I won’t tell you no lie, sir. Jest after the fellers turned out in the morning, sir—jest as I was a-washing my face in this ’ere horse trough, sir—there come along a man with a couple of barrils, sir; which the barrils was slung on a-top of a donkey, sir. So he took and stopped the donkey close to that ’ere gateway, sir, which some of the fellers was standing at it, sir. So they knowed at once it was wine, sir—in course they did, by the look on it, sir—so they got a-bargaining with him for a drink, sir. So, jest as they was a-bargaining come along that ’ere Nosey, sir; which, as soon as he see the fellers a-talking to the man what belonged to the donkey, sir, he looked very pleasant, and stopped and spoke to him, sir. Then he spoke to the fellers, sir, and told ’em they might drink as much as they pleased, sir; might drink it all, if they liked, sir; and he’d stand it, sir.” “Did he speak English, then?” “Yes, he did, sir; sitch Hinglish as they speaks here, sir; not sitch as you and I speaks, sir. I won’t tell you no lie, sir.” The case was too clear. Hookey was still on our traces. Disappointed in his two previous attempts to turn us from our route, he meant to keep near us, watch his opportunity, and act accordingly. Making the men drunk just when we were about to start on a dangerous part of the road, was as unquestionably part of some more extensive plot as it was palpably Hookey’s doing. I briefly stated the matter to Mr Chesterfield, adding, “We shall see that fellow again to-day.” “If he comes once more within the range of a firelock,” said Mr Chesterfield, “we must not let him get off so easily.” Meanwhile, the immediate question was a practical one: What course was best, under existing circumstances? In spite of the state of the men, I was still for proceeding. “Very well,” said Mr Chesterfield; “then let the packing commence. We will take all the infantry who are fit to march when the mules are loaded, and go on with them and the cavalry. Such as are too bad must remain behind, and come up afterwards with other parties, as they can.” Mr Chesterfield then went to see after his own men; the mules arrived, and the muleteers began loading. Jones stepped up to me: he had apparently overheard our conversation. “Please, sir, none of the fellers won’t not stay behind, sir.” “How do you know?” “’Cause, sir, when the mules is ready, they’ll be ready, sir.” “Ready? How ready, if they ’re beastly drunk?” “Please, sir, they won’t be beastly by that time, sir.” “How can you tell that?”