now reached the shore, and, shuffling up the bank as fast
as his own corpulency and the abruptness of the ascent
would permit, hastened to the General, who stood at some
little distance awaiting the expected communication of
the messenger.

"Well, Mr. Raymond, what is it--what have you discovered
from your post?" demanded the General, who, with those
around him, found difficulty in repressing a smile at
the heated appearance of the fat subaltern, the loud
puffing of whose lungs had been audible before he himself
drew near enough to address the chief--"something important,
I should imagine, if we may judge from the haste with
which you appear to have travelled over the short distance
that separates us?"

"Something very important, indeed, General," answered
the officer, touching his undress cap, and speaking
huskily from exertion; "there is a large bark, sir, filled
with men, stealing along shore in the American channel,
and I can see nothing of the gun boat that should be
stationed there. A shot was fired from the eastern battery,
in the hope of bringing her to, but, as the guns mounted
there are only carronades, the ball fell short, and the
suspicious looking boat crept still closer to the shore--
I ordered a shot from my battery to be tried, but without
success, for, although within range, the boat hugs the
land so closely that it is impossible to distinguish her
hull with the naked eye."