Page:Scott - Tales of my Landlord - 3rd series, vol. 4 - 1819.djvu/63

 Accordingly, when all was quiet, he opened his chamber-door, and prepared to leave it; when, half whistling, half humming a Gaelic tune, he saw his friend with the axe advancing towards him from the distant end of the gallery. To have shewn any want of confidence, would have been at once impolitic, and unbecoming his military character; so the Captain, putting the best face upon his situation he could, whistled a Swedish retreat, in a tone still louder than the notes of his centinel; and retreating pace by pace, with an air of indifference, as if his only purpose had been to breathe a little fresh air, he shut the door in the face of his guard, when the fellow had approached within a few paces of him.

Thus disappointed by the vigilance of his centinel, Ritt-master Dalgetty retired to his apartment, where, amid the theoretic calculations of tactics, and the occasional more practical attacks on the flask and pasty, he consumed the evening until it was time to go to repose. In the morning,