‘In two or three days, the corporal said.’

’I think I might manage it.  I will go and see Colonel Graham, and find out if he will help.’

‘I knew you would be able to do it,’ said Teddy, beaming all over; ’and p’raps, sir, you could tell some of them how to enlist, like you did me.  The corporal said I ought to try to be a recruiting sergeant for my Captain, but they wouldn’t listen to me, I am sure.  I’m going to try to enlist Nancy.  I haven’t tried half hard enough.  But she says she’ll only be a sailor for Jesus, not a soldier.  Can she be that, sir?’

Mr. Upton smiled.  ’Yes, I think she can.  Sailors have to keep watch, and learn their drill, and take orders, and fight under their captain, just like soldiers.’

And then Teddy went home and electrified his mother by telling her, with an air of great importance, ’Mr. Upton and I are going to give the soldiers a tea-party when they come.’

The days passed; Mr. Upton was as good as his word.  A large tea was provided in the village schoolroom, Colonel and Mrs. Graham taking a hearty interest in it; and when the soldiers came in one hot, dusty afternoon, everything was ready for them.

Teddy and others of the village children crowded round the Hare and Hounds when they arrived, and Nancy was foremost of the crowd.

‘I don’t think much of soldiers,’ she said, her nose tilted up in disdain.  ’They’re very dirty men, and covered with dust, and they’ve no band, nor flags flying, nor nothing.’

If Teddy was disappointed in the look of his heroes, he did not say so; but Sam remarked, ’I expect they’ve left the band and the flags in the town; these are only the lot that they can’t put up there.’

Later in the afternoon Teddy made his way to the old elm outside the Hare and Hounds, where several of the men were resting on the wooden benches, some with pots of beer, and round whom some of the admiring villagers had made a little circle.

He pushed his way in with his accustomed fearlessness.

‘Please, is Mr. Tim Stokes here?’

The soldiers laughed, and bandied a few jokes on the comrade alluded to.

‘What do you want with him, youngster?’

‘I want to speak to him.’

’I guess you’ll find him under one of the tables in the tap-room; old Bouncer is pretty dry after a march like we’ve had to-day.’

There was a roar of laughter at this, but Teddy did not understand the joke.

‘I mustn’t go inside the Hare and Hounds,’ he said; ’I promised mother I never would.  Will you fetch him out for me?’

And turning to a good-natured-looking young fellow, Teddy put his hand coaxingly on his arm.  The soldier looked into the boy’s fair face with a laugh and then a sigh, and rising to his feet said, ’All right, little chap, I’ll fetch him out to you.’

He was gone some time, and Teddy improved his opportunity by making friends with those around him; it was not long before he had acquainted them with the fact of his being a soldier’s son, and from that he drifted into telling the story of ‘Father’s button!’ There was vociferous applause when he had finished.