I now call upon him to fulfil his promise,
or maintain the superiority of his Indian beauty."
Before the laughing Middleton could find time to reply
to the light and unmeaning rattle of his friend, the
quick low roll of a drum was heard from the front. The
signal was understood by both officers, and they prepared
to depart.
"This is the hour appointed for the council," said Captain
Baynton, looking at his watch, "and I must be with my
guard, to receive the chiefs with becoming honour. How
I pity you, Middleton, who will have the infliction of
one of their great big talks, as Murphy would call it,
dinned into your ear for the next two hours at least!
Thank heaven, my tour of duty exempts me from that; and
by way of killing an hour, I think I shall go and carry
on a flirtation with your Indian Minerva, alias Venus,
alias Juno, while you are discussing the affairs of the
nation with closed doors. But hark! there is the assembly
drum again. We must be off. Come, Middleton, come.--Adieu!"
waving his hand to the cousins, "we shall meet at dinner."
"What an incessant talker Baynton is!" observed Miss de
Haldimar, as the young men now disappeared round an angle
of the rampart; "but he has reminded me of what I had
nearly forgotten, and that is to give orders for dinner.
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