the rugged cliffs towards the south and near the hospital)
observed, in the gloom, a figure lurking about one of the batteries, and
challenged it. Receiving no answer, he threatened to fire, when Bags
came forward reluctantly, with a bundle in his hand.

"Hush, Bill," said Bags, on finding the sentry was a personal
friend--"don't make a row: it's only me, Bags--Tongs, you know," he
added, to insure his recognition.

"What the devil are you doing there, you fool?" asked his friend in a
surly tone--"don't you know the picket's after you?"

"I've got some little things here that I want to lay by, where nobody
won't see 'em, in case I'm catched," returned Bags. "Don't you take no
notice of me, Bill, and I'll be off directly."

"What have ye got?" asked Bill, whose curiosity was awakened by the
proceedings of his friend.

"Some little matters that I picked up in the town," returned Bags. "Pity
you should be on guard to-day, Bill--there was some pretty pickings.
I'll save something for you, Bill," added Bags, in an unaccountable
access of generosity.

The sentry, however, who was a person in every way worthy of the
friendship of Mr Bags, expressed no gratitude for the considerate offer,
but began poking at the bundle with his bayonet.

"Hands off, Bill," said Bags; "they won't abear touching."

"Let's see 'em," said Bill.

"Not a bit on it," said Bags; "they ain't aworth looking at."

"Suppose I was to call the sergeant of the guard," said Bill.

"You wouldn't do such a action?" said Bags, in a tone strongly
expressive of disgust at such baseness. "No, no, Bill, you ain't that
sort of fellow, _I'm_ sure."

"It's my dooty," said the sentry, placing the butt of his musket on the
ground, and leaning his elbow on the muzzle. "You see that what you
said, Tongs, was very true, about its being hard upon me to be carrying
about this here damnable weppin" (slapping the barrel of the musket)
"all day for fourpence ha'penny, while you are making your fortin. It
is, Tongs, d----d hard."

"Never mind; there'll be plenty left to-morrow," said Bags in a
consolatory tone.

"What shall we say, now, if I lets ye hide it?" said Bill, pointing to
the bundle. "Half-shares?"

"This ain't like a friend, Bill," returned Tongs, highly disgusted with
this ungenerous proposal. "Nobody ever knowed me interfere with a
comrade when I was on sentry. How long ago is it since I let ye stay in
my box an hour, till ye was sober enough to wal