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272 hoofs being heard, and covers one's retreat, as it were. Besides, when one is a little wet, it is always necessary to drink the more, to keep the cold from one's stomach when one gets home."

"Or in other words," said Augustus, who loved a maxim from his very heart; "light wet cherishes heavy wet!"

"Good!" said Ned, yawning; "hang it, I wish the captain would come. Do you know what o'clock it is?—Not far short of eleven, I suppose?"

"About that!—hist, is that a carriage?—no—it is only a sudden rise in the wind."

"Very self-sufficient in Mr. Wind to allow himself to be raised without our help!" said Ned; "by the way, we are of course to go back to the Red Cave."

"So, Captain Lovett says Tell me, Ned, what do you think of the new tenant Lovett has put into the cave."

"Oh, I have strange doubts there," answered Ned, shaking the hairy honours of his head; "I don't half like it; consider, the cave is our strong hold, and ought only to be known"

"To men of tried virtue," interrupted Tomlinson.