A Gentleman from Gascony: A Romance of the Huguenots — page 136: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

132 A GENTLEMAN FROM GASCONY. demand. For he was determined to sell his life dearly at all events. “The sergeant carries his wine badly to-night,” re- marked Griffo to one of the tittering soldiers. “Ma foi!’”’ was the reply, “did you ever know the night when he carried it well?’ Back upon the still night air’ came the stenbie refrain: “‘Here’s a health to the Duke of Guise, Here’s a health to the—hic—Duke of Guise.” But the echoes had not died before the words were taken up in still more drunken tones, which seemed to the astounded Griffo to proceed from beneath his very feet: With a clink and a clank, With a clink and a clank «Here’s more strength to the—hic—Catholic flail.” ' With cries of surprise and terror the little group started back, their faces white in the moonlight. The tradesman was the first to recover himself. “There’s some one concealed behind that buttress,” he exclaimed, pointing to where protruded the buff boots of the sergeant. Griffo darted forward and, seizing the boots, dragged into view the struggling figure of his superior officer. “Mort de ma vie! It’s the sergeant himself!” he cried. And then, as it flashed across him how thor- oughly he had been duped, he screamed at the top of his voice: “And the Huguenot is aaRine! After him, comrades!” And away they all started, dragging the blinking, cursing sergeant with them, like a pack of hounds in full cry after their quarry. ° ° . 2 e ° GComicbooks (eo =» in ite Mie Oe <9 les, Sate