"on the third day after the coming of the letter my father went from home to visit an old friend of his, major freebody, who is in command of one of the forts upon portsdown hill. i was glad that he should go, for it seemed to me that he was farther from danger when he was away from home. in that, however, i was in error. upon the second day of his absence i received a telegram from the major, imploring me to come at once. my father had fallen over one of the deep chalk-pits which abound in the neighbourhood, and was lying senseless, with a shattered skull.