"The Duke be at Bridgewater," said one of them in a curious tone.
"What be you doing away from the Duke?"
"Why," I said, "I was taken prisoner. I escaped this morning."
"Yes?" they said with some show of eagerness. "Be there many
soldiers hereaway, after us?"
"No. Not many," I said. "Are you coming from the Duke?"
"Yes," said one of them, "we left en at Bridgewater. We have been
having enough of fighting for the crown. We been marching in mud
up to our knees. We been fighting behind hedges. We been
retreating for the last week. So now us be going home, if us can
get there. Glad if we never sees a fight again."
"Well," I said, "I must get to the Duke if I can. How far is it
to Bridgewater?"
"Matter of fifteen mile," they said, after a short debate.
"You'll never get there tonight. Nor perhaps tomorrow, since we
hear the soldiers be a coming."
"I'll get some of the way tonight," I said; but my heart sank at
the thought; for I was tired out.
"No, young master," said one of the men kindly, "you stop with us
for tonight. Come to supper with us. Us 'ave rabbits on the
fire." Their fortnight of war had given them a touch of that
comradeship which camp-life always gives. They took me with them
to their camp-fire, where they fed me on a wonderful mess of
rabbits boiled with herbs. The men had bread. One of them had
cider. Our feast there was most pleasant; or would have been, had
not the talk of these deserters been so melancholy.
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