The Tremendous Adventures of Major Gahagan

er, where I had left my prisoner, with a guard to report if he should recover, and to prevent his escape. My servant, Ghorumsaug,

"It is thy master, dost thou not remember him?" The man had seen me dress myself in the Pitan's

this way? For Heaven's sake let me rid you of this odious black paint; for what will the ladies say in

linda disguised like a blackamoor. I allowed Ghorumsaug to divest me of the heathenish armour and habiliments which I wore; and having, with a world of scrubbing and trouble, divested my face and beard of thei

horumsaug?" said I, bef

nd myself watch over him; and Macgillicuddy Sahib (the second in co

my protection. "What good after all have I done," thought I to myself, "in this expedition which I had so rashly undertaken?" I had seen the renowned Holkar; I had been in the heart of his camp; I knew the disposition of his troops, that there were eleven thousand of them, and that he only wait

horse during a famine, and was so eager to swallow this morsel that I bolted the shoe, as well as the hoof, and never felt the slightest inconvenience from either)-could I, I say, expect to live long and well upon a ragout of rupees, or a dish of stewed emeralds and rubies? With all the wealth of Croesus before me I felt melanchol

es, 5 howitzers, and a long brass mortar, for grape, which I had taken myself at the battle of Assaye), and muskets for ten times my force. My garrison, as I have told the reader in a previous number, consisted of 40 men, two chaplains

nd artil

ies

on-comb

RAL O'G.GA

,

I only consumed as much as an ordinary mortal. We were then, as far as the victuals went, 126 mouths; as combatant

had not only MEN but MEAT. Of the former commodity we had only three rounds fo

of fowls, and

ottles of

water, f

of fine Sp

m-the remainde

ng in the puddle of

m of best

ead; two Dutch cheeses

about an ounce of

and a pot of currant

ra, pale ale (my priv

alad, and a flask

s they were carried off from the table; and these were the miserable remnants I found and counted on my return;

no paler; whose neck and beauteous arms, dazzling as alabaster, needed no pearl-powder, and therefore, as I need not state, did not suffer because the pearl-powder had come off. Joy (deft link-boy!) lit his lamps in each of her eyes as I entered. As if I had been her sun, her spring, lo! blushing roses mantled in her cheek! Seventy-three ladies, as I entered, opened their fire upon me, and stunned me with cross-questions, regarding my adventures in the camp-SHE, as she saw me, gave a faint scream (the sweetest, sure, that ever gurgled through the throat of a woman!) then started up-then made as if she would sit down-then moved backwards-then tottered forwards-then tumbled into my-Psha! why recall, why attempt to describe that deli

es thirteen pages of writing. We have been compelled to dock off twelve-and-a-half; for the who

ut on, I shouted out, "Hark ye! men and women-I am this lady's truest knight-her husband I hope one day to be. I am commander, too, in this fort-the enemy is without it; another word of mockery-another glance of sco

Captain Gahagan, your ball has been so pleasant, and the supper was despatched so long ago, that myself and the ladies would be very glad of a little breakfast." And Mrs

uchong tay that you'd

man; any tea you like

e prime GUNPOWDER?" Of course

, gentlemen, what do you say to some ilegant divvled-kidneys for yourselves, and just

you will, my dear fell

en, gentlemen! that you should ever have come to t

id they, i

ot a single stick of choc

, we can do

le pound o

o." (Mrs. Van and the rest we

ide the fort have seized upon all the sheep; and how are we t

re likewise in pawn, and not a single drop can be had for money or love: b

ust as

n," continued I, "nor a stale one either; not a tayspoonful of souchong, nor a thimbleful

id Mrs. Van, growing very p

I'll tell you what th

he

s of fowls, an

s of ginger-bee

eatables as before, ending with the

ndegobbleschroy, "give me the ham-sandwi

ere are in this fort one hundred and twenty- six souls, and this is all the food which is to last us during the siege. Meat there is none-of drink there is a tolerable quantity; and at one o'clock punctually, a glass of wine and one olive shall be served out to each woman:

Captain Gahagan!" screeched

e. I will blow this fort, and all it contains

night! bravely said, my heart's Goliah!" I felt I was right: I could have blown her up twenty times for the luxury of that single moment! "And now, ladies," said I, "I must leave you.