Page:Barbour--For the freedom from the seas.djvu/230

 that divil of a Rosmoyne crowd that was handlin' 'em. If them horses didn't have their last feed forninst the Two Rocks I'll eat me hat. Unhitch 'em, Flaherty, an' put 'em in the stable till the Captain comes on an' tells us what'll we do with 'em. You gentlemen will wait an' give your evidence, please. Step inside, sirs."

"That's all well enough," objected Nelson, "but we're hungry. We haven't had anything to eat since yesterday noon. We'll get our breakfasts and be back in half an hour."

But the sergeant was adamant. They must await the appearance of the captain who was due in another twenty minutes. So, with sighs, they preceded their captor up the steps and into the bare office inside where, for the subsequent twenty or twenty-five minutes, they stifled the demands of two healthy hungers and impatiently awaited the advent of the police captain. The sergeant and the other officer, who appeared to be an ordinary constable, although he exuded so much dignity that the boys were in doubt as to that, were inclined to be chatty but found little encouragement from their guests.

In the course of time, following the arrival of several constables who dribbled in at intervals and had to hear the story of the capture from the 205