‘Ham, sir! Yes, sir. Jam, sir! No, sir. Milk—crackers, sir,’ stuttered the unfortunate Cox, ruefully regarding the denuded table, the lacerated ham, and the empty mugs, which but a few moments before he had himself seen filled with rich creamy milk. A loud snort burst from Lucius, who, between the angry face of the general and the utter amazement of the orderly, found the situation too much for him, and would simply have suffocated had not this timely explosion of mirth suddenly relieved him. Fortunately the sound was swallowed up in the shout of laughter which, at the same moment, broke from the other two officers, in the midst of which Ephraim found time to whisper hurriedly: ‘It’s too funny, Luce. But hold up. Don’t ye do that agen, or we’re ruined shore and certain.’ ‘Ha! ha! ha!’ roared one of the officers, a stout, good-humoured-looking brigadier. ‘Evidently a foraging party has been beforehand with us. By George! general, it’s a mercy they left us so much as a single cracker. You had better have taken my advice and had breakfast outside, notwithstanding the tendency of the bugs to drop uninvited into the coffee. Ha! ha!’ The angry look died out of General Shields’s eyes, the wrinkles at the root of his nose smoothened out again, and after a momentary struggle he gave way and joined heartily in the laughter of his subordinates. ‘Well, well, it can’t be helped now,’ he said—‘it is the fortune of war; but if I can lay hands on the rascal who has played us this trick, I’ll—I’ll feed him on jam till he’s so sick of it, he won’t be in a hurry to plunder his general again.’ He broke into fresh laughter, till, remembering the presence of the orderly, he restrained himself, and inquired sharply, ‘What are you doing there?’ Orderly-sergeant Cox, who, now that his terror and confusion had been sent to the right-about by the hilarity of the officers, would have given a good deal to be able to express his own feelings in the same way, saluted silently, swung on his heel, and made for the door. ‘Stop!’ ordered the general, and Cox swung round again, managing by a violent effort to dismiss the grin which he had allowed to overspread his features the moment he had turned his back. ‘Any news of Colonel Spriggs?’ asked General Shields. ‘Can’t say, sir.’ ‘Very good. My compliments to him, when he returns, if he returns, and I wish to see him at once.’ ‘Here, sir?’ ‘Anywhere. Wherever I happen to be. I can be found, I suppose.’ ‘Very well, sir,’ and with another salute Orderly-sergeant Cox withdrew. ‘I believe that beggar knows more of this than he cares to say,’ observed General Shields, mournfully regarding the remains of the ham. ‘Oh, not he,’ laughed the fat brigadier; ‘I never saw a fellow look so utterly flabbergasted. No, no, general, your thieves have come and gone through this window. See, here are some of the spoils dropped both inside and out.’