"
After sitting for a couple of hours, the colonel proposed that they should
all go for a walk, while those who preferred it should take a nap in the
shade.
"I move, O'Connor," he said, "that this meeting be adjourned until
sunset."
"I think that will be a very good plan, Colonel."
The proposal was carried out. O'Grady and a few others declared that they
should prefer a nap. The rest started on foot, and sauntered about in the
shade of the wood for a couple of hours, then all gathered at the table
again. At eight o'clock grilled joints of fowls and ducks were put upon
the table, and at nine all mounted and rode back to Abrantes.
"How many of those quart jugs have been filled, Sancho?"
"Eight, sir."
"That is not so bad," Terence said to Macwitty. "That is twelve bottles;
and as there were sixteen and our three selves, that is only about two
bottles between three men."
"I call that vera moderate under the circumstances, Colonel," Macwitty
said, gravely. "I have drank more myself many a time."
"They were a good many hours over it too," Terence added; "you may say it
was two sittings. You will see that we shall have a great many callers
from the camp for the next few days."
A fortnight later Terence received a letter from Don Jose, saying that he
had heard from his friend at Oporto, and that they informed him that the
Senora Johanna O'Connor had been killed at the sack of Oporto.
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