ng errands for the colonel.

That evening, after the summer dusk had come, but before the army had
settled to sleep, I heard an old man, one of our cavalrymen, talking to
another trooper. "Ah," he said, "I was fighting in the old wars under
Oliver. I've seen wars enough. You mark my words, boy, this army won't
do much. We've not got enough men, for one thing. We could have had
fourteen thousand or more if he'd thought to bring muskets for en. We've
not got cavalry, that's another thing. When us do come face to face with
all the King's men us shall be sore put to it for want of a few trusty
horses. Horsemen be the very backbones of armies in the field. Then,
boy, we not got any captains, that's worst of all. The Duke's no
captain. If he'd been a captain her'd have fought this morning. Them
others aren't captains neither, none of them. Besides, what are they
doing sitting down in camp like this when we ought to be marching?
Us ought to be marching. Marching all night, never setting down once,
marching in two armies, one to Exeter, one to Bristol. Us'd 'ave the two
towns by late tomorrow night if us was under old Oliver. It'll take us
a week to get to Bristol at this rate. By that time it will be full of
troops, as well as secured by ships. As for us, by that time we shall
have troops all round us, not to speak of club-men."

"Ah," said the younger man. "What be club-men, gaffer?"

"You'll know soon enough what club-men are," the old man answered, "if
there's any more of this drunken dirty robbery I saw this afternoon.
Those thieves who stole the farmer's cattle would have been shot in
Oliver's time. They'd have cast lots on a drum in sight of all on us,
drawn up. The men who got the low numbers would have been shot. The
captains would have pistolled them where they stood. If this robbing
goes on, all the farmers will club together to defend themselves, making
a sort of second army for us to fight against. That is what club-men
means. It's not a nice thing to fight in a country where there are
club-men all round you. No, boy. So what with all this, boy, I be going
to creep out of this 'ere army. I do-an't like the look of things, nor
I do-an't like the way things are done. If you take a old man's advice
you'll come too."

"Noa," said the honest oaf, "I be agoin' to vight. I be a-goin' to
London town to be a girt sol-dier."

"Ah," said the old man, shortly, "you be a vule, Tummas. Wish ee good
day, maister." Then the o