brows. 'I trust
that during your stay in this town ye will all four take up your abode
with me. 'Tis a homely roof and simple fare, but a soldier's wants are
few. And now, Colonel, I would fain have your advice as to these three
drakes, whether if rehooped they may be deemed fit for service; and also
as to these demi-cannons, which were used in the old Parliamentary days,
and may yet have a word to say in the people's cause.'

The old soldier and the Puritan instantly plunged into a deep
and learned disquisition upon the merits of wall-pieces, drakes,
demi-culverins, sakers, minions, mortar-pieces, falcons, and
pattereroes, concerning all which pieces of ordnance Saxon had strong
opinions to offer, fortified by many personal hazards and experiences.
He then dwelt upon the merits of fire-arrows and fire-pikes in the
attack or defence of places of strength, and had finally begun to
descant upon sconces, 'directis lateribus,' and upon works, semilunar,
rectilineal, horizontal, or orbicular, with so many references to his
Imperial Majesty's lines at Gran, that it seemed that his discourse
would never find an end. We slipped away at last, leaving him still
discussing the effects produced by the Austrian grenadoes upon a
Bavarian brigade of pikes at the battle of Ober-Graustock.

'Curse me if I like accepting this old fellow's offer,' said Sir Gervas,
in an undertone. 'I have heard of these Puritan households. Much grace
to little sack, and texts flying about as hard and as jagged as flint
stones. To bed at sundown, and a sermon ready if ye do but look kindly
at the waiting-wench or hum the refrain of a ditty.'

'His home may be larger, but it could scarce be stricter than that of my
own father,' I remarked.

'I'll warrant that,' cried Reuben. 'When we have been a morris-dancing,
or having a Saturday night game of "kiss-in-the-ring," or
"parson-has-lost-his-coat," I have seen Ironside Joe stride past us, and
cast a glance at us which hath frozen the smile upon our lips. I warrant
that he would have aided Colonel Pride to shoot the bears and hack down
the maypoles.'

''Twere fratricide for such a man to shoot a bear,' quoth Sir Gervas,
'with all respect, friend Clarke, for your honoured progenitor.'

'No more than for you to shoot at a popinjay,' I answered, laughing;
'but as to the Mayor's offer, we can but go to meat with him now, and
should it prove irksome it will be easy for you to plead some excuse,
and so get hon