^8 STAGE-COACH AlVD MAIL IN DAYS OP YORE 



bed. He was, for a time, as dumb as a Quaker 

 when not moved by the spirit, and l)y continuing 

 in silence, at last fell asleej^ until they had com- 

 pleted nearly half the first stage. During this 

 time, Mr. Murray sarcastically observes, he said 

 no ill. 



They finished their first stage without ex- 

 changing many words with this son of Mars, 

 except some of those flimsy compliments gentle- 

 men of the sword pay frequently to the ladies. 

 After a dish of warm tea the tissues of his tongue 

 were loosed, and he began to let his companions 

 know that he was an officer in the army, and a 

 man of some consequence. He seemed to be very 

 fond of war, and spoke in high terms upon the 

 usefulness of a standing army. When he had 

 exhausted his whole fund of military arguments 

 in favour of slavery and oppression, Mr. Murray 

 observed to him that a standing army had a bad 

 appearance in a free country, and put it in the 

 power of the Crown to enslave the nation — Avith 

 the like arguments, continued for an unconscion- 

 able space. 



It is not at all surprising that the soldier 

 resented this. The spirit of Mars began to work 

 within him, and he threatened that if he were 

 near a Justice of the Peace he would have this 

 argumentative person fined for hindering him 

 from getting recruits, adding that he once had 

 a man fined for persuading others not to enlist 

 in his Majesty's service. 



To this Mr. Murray rejoined that tlie officer 



