Atwood and I have landed to send off some important despatches to the First Lord, and we will thank you for putting us in the way of doing it, in the safest and most expeditious manner.

Curiosity and surprise have already occasioned the loss of half an hour; while a soldier, or a sailor, should never lose half a minute." "Is a courier who knows the country well, needed, Sir Gervaise ?" the lieutenant demanded, modestly, though with an interest that showed he was influenced only by zeal for the service.
The admiral looked at him, intently, for a moment, and seemed pleased with the hint implied in the question.
"Can you ride ?" asked Sir Gervaise, smiling.

"I could have brought half-a-dozen youngsters ashore with me; but, besides the doubts about getting a horse--a chaise I take it is out of the question here--I was afraid the lads might disgrace themselves on horseback." "This must be said in pleasantry, Sir Gervaise," returned Wychecombe; "he would be a strange Virginian at least, who does not know how to ride!" "And a strange Englishman, too, Bluewater would say; and yet I never see the fellow straddle a horse that I do not wish it were a studding-sail-boom run out to leeward! We sailors _fancy_ we ride, Mr.
Wychecombe, but it is some such fancy as a marine has for the fore-topmast-cross-trees.

Can a horse be had, to go as far as the nearest post-office that sends off a daily mail ?" "That can it, Sir Gervaise," put in Sir Wycherly.

"Here is Dick mounted on as good a hunter as is to be found in England; and I'll answer for my young namesake's willingness to put the animal's mettle to the proof.
Our little mail has just left Wychecombe for the next twenty-four hours, but by pushing the beast, there will be time to reach the high road in season for the great London mail, which passes the nearest market-town at noon.