too?" His lordship tried to laugh but failing,
smiled instead:

"Got me--aye!" he mumbled, "I--almost think--I'm going----" The words
ended in a sigh and my lord Medhurst slipped limply to the ground and
lay there. Muttering oaths in English, French and Dutch the Sergeant
set hands to throbbing head and staring blankly about spied the sword
near by; took it up, examined the point instinctively and nodding
grimly contrived to set it back in scabbard. Then taking the inert
figure in practised hold lifted him to broad shoulder and trudged
sturdily off; but as he went the throbbing in his head seemed like
hammer-strokes that deafened, that blinded him; yet on he strode nor
paused nor stayed until the welcome lights of the Manor gleamed before
him. As he plodded heavily on, he became aware of a voice hailing him
above the thunderous hammer-strokes and he paused, reeling:

"Zeb, Sergeant Zebedee!"

"Here, sir!" he gasped hoarsely. Next moment the Major was beside him:

"Suffer me, Zebedee," said he, and taking the insensible form in his
powerful arms, led the way into the house and so to the library, the
Sergeant plodding doggedly in his rear. Laying his inert lordship upon
a settee, the Major summoned Mrs. Agatha, who, seeing the Sergeant
bruised and bloody screamed once, below her breath, and immediately
became all womanly dexterity. Softly, swiftly she bustled to and fro;
first came cordials and glasses, thereafter a bowl of water, sponges
and soft linen and very soon beneath her able and gentle ministrations
the earl sighed, opened languid eyes and sitting up, stared about him
while Mrs. Agatha promptly turned her attention to the battered
Sergeant.

"Faith, sir," said my lord apologetically, "I--I fear I was so foolish
as to swoon----"

"But saved my life first, your honour," added the Sergeant, dodging
Mrs. Agatha's sponge to say so, "and winged one o' the rogues into the
bargain."

"Then sir," said the Major, "my deepest gratitude is yours. Sergeant
Zebedee is--is an old comrade of mine a--a comrade and--and so forth as
'twere, my lord Medhurst."

Here the Sergeant blinked and opened his mouth so wide that Mrs. Agatha
felt impelled to promptly fill it with the sponge.

"I trust sir," continued the Major, "you feel yourself a little
recovered of your hurts?"

"O infinitely sir--quite, quite!" answered the earl and getting to his
feet, staggered and sat down again. "A small vertigo sir, a trifling