Part 59 (2/2)
”Oh, it's you, is it, Mr Raystoke? Pretty run you've led ame do you call this?”
”Game, sir!” said Archy ruefully; ”it's horribly hard work!”
”Hard work! To you, sir--a mere boy! Then what do you suppose it is to me? I have hardly a breath left in me”
”But where are the men Mr Gurr?”
”Theto ask you Now just have the goodness to tellall the discipline you have been taught, and leading these poor chaps off on such a wild-goose chase”
”I, Mr Gurr?” said Archy in astonishh e get back?
I am in command of this expedition, and you lead the men away like a pack of mad March hares, and now I find you here without them Where are they?”
”I don't know, sir”
”You don't know!”
”I thought they ith you”
”And you took them away and left them?”
”I didn't take therily
”Then where are they, sir?”
”I don't know You were close by me when they rushed off after that boy”
”Sheep, sir”
”No, no, Mr Gurr; boy--Ram”
”Well, I said sheep, Mr Raystoke”
”No, no, boy; that's his name--Ram”
”Nonsense, sir; it was a sheep, and if it was not, it was a dog”
”I tell you, sir, it was the sler's boy, Ra the cow, sir! I want o back on board without theh treason for a naval officer to let one o I say once h?”
”I don't know, Mr Gurr,” said Archy, as growing vexed now at the bla thrown on his shoulders ”You were in coe of the second boat's crew I don't see how I am to blame”
”But you led the men away, sir”
”Not I, Mr Gurr I joined in the chase, and I tried to get the boys together, but they scattered everywhere”