' He then gave us to
understand, that having been wounded at Ticonderoga, in America,
a party of Indians rifled him, scalped him, broke his scull with
the blow of a tomahawk, and left him for dead on the field of
battle; but that being afterwards found with signs of life, he
had been cured in the French hospital, though the loss of
substance could not be repaired; so that the scull was left naked
in several places, and these he covered with patches.
There is no hold by which an Englishman is sooner taken than that
of compassion -- We were immediately interested in behalf of this
veteran. Even Tabby's heart was melted; but our pity was warmed
with indignation, when we learned, that in the course of two
sanguinary wars, he had been wounded, maimed, mutilated, taken,
and enslaved, without ever having attained a higher rank than
that of lieutenant -- My uncle's eyes gleamed, and his nether lip
quivered, while he exclaimed, 'I vow to God, sir, your case is a
reproach to the service -- The injustice you have met with is so
flagrant' -- 'I must crave your pardon, sir (cried the other,
interrupting him), I complain of no injustice -- I purchased an
ensigncy thirty years ago; and, in the course of service rose to
a lieutenant, according to my seniority' -- 'But in such a length
of time (resumed the 'squire), you must have seen a great many
young officers put over your head' -- 'Nevertheless (said he), I
have no cause to murmur -- They bought their preferment with their
money -- I had no money to carry to market that was my misfortune;
but no body was to blame' -- 'What! no friend to advance a sum of
money?' (said Mr Bramble) 'Perhaps, I might have borrowed money
for the purchase of a company (answered the other); but that loan
must have been refunded; and I did not chuse to incumber myself
with a debt of a thousand pounds, to be payed from an income of
ten shillings a-day.
Pages:
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346