to the sinful youth above. Would you deprive a dying man of
the consolation of religion?"

"No, no; poor fellow, his fate is bad enough. But harkee, Mr.
Revelations, my advice is that you never trust that skeleton of yours
among us again, or I will take the skin off and leave you naked."

"Out upon thee for a reviler and scoffer of goodness!" said Birch,
moving slowly, and with a due observance of clerical dignity, down the
road, followed by the imaginary Caesar.

CHAPTER XX.

THE ALARM AND THE PURSUIT.

"Corporal of the guard! corporal of the guard!" shouted the sentinel
in the passage to the chambers, "corporal of the guard! corporal of
the guard!"

The subaltern flew up the narrow stairway that led to the room of the
prisoner, and demanded the meaning of the outcry.

The soldier was standing at the open door of the apartment, looking in
with a suspicious eye on the supposed British officer. On observing
his lieutenant, he fell back with habitual respect; and replied, with
an air of puzzled thought:

"I don't know, sir, but just now the prisoner looked queer. Ever since
the preacher has left him, he don't look as he used to do--but,"
gazing intently over the shoulder of his officer, "it must be him,
too! There is the same powdered head, and the darn in the coat, where
he was hit the day we had the last brush with the enemy."

"And then all this noise is occasioned by your doubting whether that
poor gentleman is your prisoner or not, is it, sirrah? Who do you
think it can be else?"

"I don't know who else it can be," returned the fellow, sullenly; "but
he has grown thicker and shorter, if it is he; and see for yourself,
sir, he shakes all over, like a man in an ague."

This was but too true. Caesar was an alarmed auditor of this short
conversation, and, from congratulating himself upon the dexterous
escape of his young master, his thoughts were very naturally beginning
to dwell upon the probable consequences to his own person. The
pause that succeeded the last remark of the sentinel in no degree
contributed to the restoration of the faculties. Lieutenant Mason was
busied in examining with his own eyes the suspected person of the
black, and Caesar was aware of the fact by stealing a look through a
passage under one of his arms, that he had left expressly for the
purpose of reconnoitering.[117]

[Footnote 117: surveying the situation with his eye.]

Captain Lawton would have discovered the f