lxxxvi 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



road before us ; and it was evidently this un- 

 fortunate beast of burden which had been 

 under the necessity of breaking the rules of 

 the place. Wherefore, putting on a look of 

 ferocity, I told the sentinel sternly that nothing 

 should be paid, and that he might keep us 

 under arrest all night long, if he thought fit to 

 do so ; and then I ordered him peremptorily to 

 send for the officer on duty. 



Whilst we were thus hotly engaged, a hand- 

 some young officer made his appearance from 

 the fort, and, stepping up to the side of the 

 carriage, he begged to know the cause of the 

 uproar. We each of us told our story ; and, 

 as the officer had no other clue to go by but 

 the asseverations of both parties, there was not 

 much appearance that things would go off to 

 our satisfaction. 



" The dispute can be settled in a minute," 

 said I to the polite young officer, " if we repair 

 to the place where the soldier has deposited 

 what has caused our arrest. I have the greatest 

 confidence in the veracity of my coachman ; 

 and, moreover, as I am pretty well versed in 

 natural history, it will be no difficult task for 

 me to prove, by the size of the nuisance, that 



