SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS. 129 



his daughter's arm, kissed her, and congratulated her on 

 their delivery from the last night's danger. 



" 'You little coward!' said the old man jocularly ; 'you 

 must give your deliverer one kiss at least for your preserva- 

 tion/ The blushing girl received my salute. Miss Morden 

 took my hand. ' You, too, Emily, will you not reward your 

 protector ?' Without coquetry, she laid her lips to mine, and 

 that kiss was a sufficient recompense for twice the peril I had 

 encountered. 



" But for me no praises seemed sufficient : the successful 

 defence was attributed to my exertions ; and the fortunate shot 

 that killed the villain smith was never to be sufficiently com- 

 mended. 



" My visit ended. I was in love with Emily ; but then I 

 had little chance of succeeding to the property which after- 

 wards, by a chapter of accidents, fell to me ; and a company of 

 foot was all my earthly riches. She was an heiress ; and 

 would it be generous to take advantage of a casual service 

 to press a suit that would be as painful to refuse as unlikely 

 to be granted ? I mean (so says vanity) by Mr. Morden. 

 No ! I overcame the temptation of risking a trial, and re- 

 turned to ford, possessing the esteem and good wishes of 



every inhabitant of ' the Wilderness.' 



" I was on parade some mornings after I rejoined the regi- 

 ment, when a horse, splendidly accoutred with a superb tiger- 

 skin, holsters, saddle, and every housing lit for a field-officer, 

 was led into the barrack-yard by a groom. The animal was a 

 perfect picture of symmetry and strength ; a dark chestnut, 

 sixteen hands high, and worth at least two hundred guineas. 

 The groom presented me a letter ; it was from Mr. Morden 

 the horse was a present. 



" Emily and her cousin married most happily, and we have 

 often met since. They treat me as sisters would a brother ; 

 and we frequently talk of the night attack upon ' the Wil- 

 derness.' 



' ' Three years passed awav : the gans; had been incessantly 

 followed by Mr. Moraen, ana were extirpated with the solitary 

 exception of Captain Bulger. Dreading the sleepless vengeance 

 of that determined old man, this ruffian fled the country, and 

 established himself in a disaffected district of the south. 



" In the interim I got a majority in the Seventieth, then 



K 



