Colonel Cleeve.

"O my lord," she said wearily, "prithee take me home." So the Colonel
took her hand, drew it through his arm and led her towards the door,
but ever as she went she gazed towards the Major's motionless back;
reaching the door she paused, but still his head was averted; then she
sighed, shivered and, despite her muddy and tattered gown, swept away
upon Lord George's arm like a young, disdainful goddess.

The Major drew a quivering breath and his sword clattered upon the
floor.

"God above!" exclaimed the Sergeant, clasping strong arms about that
rigid form, "the Captain pinked you after all, sir."

"No, Zeb, no--but I fancy I've broke a--couple of ribs or so--as
'twere, d'ye see, Zeb----" And sighing, he fell forward with his head
pillowed upon the Sergeant's shoulder.

CHAPTER XLIII

HOW THEY DRANK A NEW TOAST

"The Major's rib will do, sir," nodded Dr. Ponderby, "'tis doing well
and will do better and better. A simple fracture, sir--'twill be sound
in no time, it being a rib of health abounding, owing, if I may put it
so, to an abstemious life, a past puritanic--a----"

"Abstemious, sir!" exclaimed Lord Cleeve, rolling his eyes, "abstemious
d'ya' say? O begad, hark to that, Jack! Abstemious sir, abste----"
The Colonel choked and rolled his eyes fiercer than ever.

"My lord," said portly Dr. Ponderby, patting his smooth wig, "I am no
Puritan myself, nor do I look askance at a glass or so of wine, far
from it----"

"The bottle is at your elbow, sir," said the Major from his cushioned
chair.

"Abstemious--begad!" chuckled Lord Cleeve, snuffing fiercely.

"I thank you, Major," said Dr. Ponderby, leisurely filling his glass,
"and my Lord Cleeve, coming back to my patient's rib, I repeat its
abounding health is due entirely to a youthful and immensely robust
constitution and----"

"Abstemious--ho!" chuckled the Colonel. "Given occasion sir, Jack can
be as abstemious as Bacchus. I remember last time we made a night
on't--aha! It being nigh dawn and we on our fifth bottle, or was it
the seventh, Jack--not to mention Sir Benjamin's punch, begad, it being
nigh dawn, I say, and I happening to glance about missed divers faces
from the genial board. 'Where are they all, Jack?' says I. 'Under the
table,' says he, sober as a judge, and damme sir, so they were and Jack
as I say, sober as yourself sir, for all his abstemiousness!"

"Hem!" exclaimed Dr. Ponderby, gulping his wine and r