I shall see you again in the morning."
As Ralph entered the messroom the officers had just taken their seats.
He was greeted with a boisterous outburst of welcome. His comrades got
up and shook his hand warmly, and he had to answer many inquiries as
to how O'Connor and Desmond were going on.
"Sit down, gentlemen!" the major who was president of the mess
shouted. "Conway has had a twenty-mile march, and is, I have no doubt,
as hungry as a hunter. Let him eat his dinner in peace, and then when
the wine is on the table he shall relate his adventures in detail. By
the way, Conway, I hope you have lodged that ruffian safely in jail?"
"Yes, sir, I have handed him over, and glad I was to get him off my
hands; for though I had him handcuffed and his feet tied, and brought
him along in a cart, I never felt comfortable all the way. The fellow
is as strong as a bull, and as he knows what is before him he was
capable of anything desperate to effect his escape."
"I remember the man well," one of the officers said; "for, as you
know, I was in his regiment before I exchanged into the Twenty-eighth.
He was a notorious character. He had the strength of two ordinary men,
and once or twice when he was drunk it took eight men to bring him
into barracks. I am heartily glad he is caught, for the poor fellow he
killed was one of the most popular men in the regiment--with the
soldiers as well as with us--and if they could have laid hands on this
fellow I believe they would have hung him up without a trial.
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