Whether Susannah , by taking her hand too suddenly from off the corporal’s shoulder (by the whisking about of her passions)⸺broke a little the chain of his reflections⸺
Or whether the corporal began to be suspicious, he had got into the doctor’s quarters, and was talking more like the chaplain than himself⸻
Or whether - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Or whether⸺for in all such cases a man of invention and parts may with pleasure fill a couple of pages with suppositions⸺which of all these was the cause, let the curious physiologist, or the curious anybody determine⸺’tis certain, at least, the corporal went on thus with his harangue.
For my own part, I declare it, that out of doors, I value not death at all:—not this … added the corporal, snapping his fingers,—but with an air which no one but the corporal could have given to the sentiment.—In battle, I value death not this … and let him not take me cowardly, like poor Joe Gibbins , in scouring his gun—What is he? A pull of a trigger—a push of a bayonet an inch this way or that—makes the difference.—Look along the line—to the right—see! Jack’s down! well,—’tis worth a regiment of horse to him.—No—’tis Dick . Then Jack’s no worse.—Never mind which,—we pass on,—in hot pursuit the wound itself which brings him is not felt,—the best way is to stand up to him,—the man who flies, is in ten times more danger than the man who marches up into his jaws.—I’ve look’d him, added the corporal, an hundred times in the face,—and know what he is.—He’s nothing, Obadiah , at all in the field.—But he’s very frightful in a house, quoth Obadiah .⸺I never mind it myself, said Jonathan , upon a coach-box.—It must, in my opinion, be most natural in bed, replied Susannah .—And could I escape