14 Mr. Grim boy. 



death, for, poor man, he did not know what might happen. 

 Away went the Squire across the bowling-green, along 

 the pleasure-ground, past the summer-house at a hand- 

 gallop, and out at the postern-gate into the road. Sure 

 enough, in the field on the other side, were four men 

 busily employed with tapes, &:c. As the Squire, now 

 nearly breathless, arrived at the scene of action, the man 

 in command of the party was just pencilling down some 

 notes on a huge plan. He was a big man, a Scotchman, 

 with a back as broad as a prize ox at Christmas-time. It 

 was David and Goliath over again. Rushing up to the 

 astonished engineer, without a word of explanation, Mr. 

 Grimboy snatched the plan out of his hands, and, tearing 

 it into three or four pieces, threw it on the ground and 

 stamped on it. This done, he went straight for the enemy, 

 and, turning him round, gave him, with all the force he 

 could command, a terrific kick on what the Yankees 

 would call the Western side of his person. That the 

 Scotchman was astonished considerabl}^, may well be 

 imagined ; it was some minutes indeed before he could 

 collect his faculties. At length he spoke. 



^' Eh, mun," said he, rubbing himself, " Eh, mun, 

 but ye'll pay for this, or me neem's not Sandy Mac- 

 gregor." 



** Get off my ground, you infernal scoundrel, or I'll 

 throw you into the river," shrieked the Squire, and the 

 big Scotchman, looking round and seeing some stalwart 

 keepers and other myrmidons of the Squire approaching 

 the scene of action, thought discretion the better part of 

 valour, and walked off, vowing as he went that " he'd 

 heve setisfection for the assault." We forget how much 

 this little adventure cost the Squire, but it was a con- 



