who had waited to see the result of Mr. Cheeseman's suicide, and their

patience was less on this occasion. At length the great Captain unfolded

his broad sheet, but even then held it upside down for a minute. It was

below their dignity to do anything but grunt, put their specs on their

noses, and lean chin upon staff. They deserved to be rewarded, and so

they were.

For this grand poster, which overlapped the shutters, was a Royal

Proclamation, all printed in red ink, announcing that His Majesty King

George the 3rd would on the 25th of June then ensuing hold a grand

review upon Shotbury Down of all the Volunteer forces and Reserve,

mounted, footmen, or artillery, of the four counties forming the

Southeast Division, to wit, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, and Hants. Certain

regiments of the line would be appointed to act with them; and officers

in command were ordered to report at once, &c., &c. God save the King.

If Shotbury Down had been ten miles off, Springhaven would have thought

very little of the matter; for no one would walk ten miles inland to

see all the sojers that ever were shot, or even the "King and Queen, and

their fifteen little ones." Most of the little ones were very large now;

but the village had seen them in a travelling show, and expected them to

continue like it. But Shotbury Down was only three miles inland; and the

people (who thought nothing of twenty miles along the coast) resolved to

face a league of perils of the solid earth, because if they only turned

round upon their trudge, they could see where they lived from every

corner of the road. They always did all things with one accord; the

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