314 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



" I ask you, sir, what do you mean by such unbear- 

 able insolence?" 



"Bom-bom!" 



" If you don't cease that confounded ' bom-bom ' of 

 yours, I'll pull your nose ! " 



" Bom-bom ! " 



But scarcely had the last word been uttered, than 

 Charlie had the objectionable person by the nose, and 

 doubtless would have proceeded to further violence had 

 we not interfered. 



To say the least, it was plain that the unknown was 

 the offender, so an explanation of his unaccountable con- 

 duct was demanded, and, nothing loth, was furnished. 



"A year or two since I lived at King William's 

 Town, in the Colony. The regiment then stationed 

 there gave a supper and ball, and I was employed to 

 furnish the comestibles. Among other dishes were some 

 roast ducks : no person partook of them ; of this I am 

 certain, for I watched carefully how things progressed, 

 paying particular attention to the consumption of the 

 food. 



" At length the ladies and officers rose and left the 

 table ; the ducks, untouched, were there at that moment. 

 The bandsmen, who had been uninterruptedly employed 

 during the early part of the evening, were now sent 

 into the room to get some ale. The moment they 

 retired I missed several of my ducks ; and as nobody 

 was there to purloin them but the bandsmen, I at once 

 went and complained to the commanding officer, and he 

 ordered his people to be searched. But who would 

 stick a roast duck in his pocket ? Besides their some- 

 what greasy condition, they are not a convenient shape 

 or size to secrete about a regimental coat. The band 



