“And is it hard being a soldier?  I suppose it must be a little.  I came across a text I thought would just fit you, Rob, the other day.  ’Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’”

Rob’s eyes brightened.  He seemed strangely older and graver in his ways, yet when they drove up in sight of Dudley who slipped down over the wall, and tumbled himself into the trap with them, he made the boys roar with laughter with his funny incidents of barrack-room life.

The three days passed only too soon.  Innumerable were the questions put to the young soldier, and Roy’s curiosity about a military life was insatiable.

“Well,” he said at last, “I don’t think I should be strong enough to be a soldier, but I’m awfully glad you’re one, Rob.  And now you’ve got your chance in India of doing something grand and getting the Victoria Cross.  The opportunity has come to you, and Dudley and I can’t get it, though we’ve tried hard.  But we have helped to send you out to India to do it, Rob, so you won’t fail us, will you?  And then when you come back covered with medals, you shall live with me and always dress in your uniform, so we’ll look forward and think of that!”

When Rob departed, he had quite a little party of friends to see him off at the station.  Old Hal, the gardener, Ted, the stable-boy, and old Principle were there, and Miss Bertram and her nephews were with him to the last.

“He’s begun right, and he’ll go on like it,” announced old Principle, with emphasis, as the train steamed out of the station, and Rob leaned out of the window to wave a last farewell to his friends. “’Tis the beginnin’ of life that boys make such a mess of, as a rule!”

Roy’s eyes were tearful as he watched the train disappear.

“I’ve given him to the Queen,” he said, gravely, to his aunt; “and no one can say I’m selfish, for I’d much rather have had him stay with me.  But as I can’t do anything grand, he must do it for me!”

The day after Rob left them, the boys had an invitation to spend the day with Roy’s guardian, General Newton.  He did not often ask them over to see him, so it was considered a great treat, and they set off in high spirits.  The groom drove them over, and they were shown into the general’s study at once upon their arrival.  He was not by himself; another grey-haired gentleman was seated there smoking, and the boys wondered at first who he was, but General Newton soon enlightened them.

“This is a very old chum of mine, boys, who was in my regiment with me when I first enlisted; he has been a hero in his time, so if you make up to him he will tell you some wonderful stories.  Now, Manning, these boys are smitten with the ‘scarlet fever’ at present, as a young friend of theirs has just enlisted.  Tell them something about the Crimea; you had plenty of ghastly experiences there.”

Colonel Manning laughed as he met the boys’ admiring gaze, and before long he was enchanting them by his reminiscences.