“This time next week we shall be at school,” said Dudley; “how funny we shall feel!”

“We shan’t be able to climb walls there, I suppose.”

“On half-holidays, perhaps we shall.  It isn’t all lessons; old Selby told us the happiest time of his life was when he was at school.”

“I mean to be happy,” said Roy, a smile hovering about his lips.

“And so do I,” maintained Dudley, stoutly; “but it will be awfully strange at first.  It’s like Rob going off to be a soldier.  We’re going out ‘to see life’ nurse says.”

“Old Principle wants us to come to tea with him before we go.  I saw him this morning going past our gate.  He’ll give us some of his good advice like he did Rob, but I don’t mind him, he’s such a jolly old chap.”

There was silence between them for a few minutes.  Dudley was eating a slice of cake which he had brought out of the house with him, and Roy was dreamily watching the figures of his aunt and the old gardener moving about amongst the bright colored flower beds.

“Dudley, we’ll always keep friends, won’t we?”

“Of course we will.”

“But I dare say you’ll have a lot of fellows at school who can get about quicker with you than I can; and I don’t want to keep you back.  I only want you to like me still best in your heart.”

“Now look here, old chap!  You know that I couldn’t like any other fellow better than you.  You’re much more likely to have a lot of chums than I am, because you’re so clever.  Look at Rob; he used to think nothing of me at all, and I got to think you didn’t want me with you, after he came.”

“That was awful rot then, because we two are quite different to any other people.  Only it would be a good thing to have a fresh promise together; a kind of Bible covenant, you know, before we go to school.”

“All right, here goes, then!  Let us have your fists—­now then, hear me!  I, Dudley Bertram, vow and declare that Fitz Roy Bertram shall continue to be my dearest and nearest chum from this time forth, forevermore.  Amen.”

Roy grasped Dudley’s hands eagerly and earnestly, and repeated his vow in the same words, perhaps with additional emphasis; then with a sigh of relief, he turned to chatter of other things.

Shortly after Miss Bertram came up to them with a newspaper in her hand.

“Granny has just sent out this paper to me, boys.  She thought you would like to know that the troops in the place where Rob is, have all been sent out on some expedition against a rebel chief in the mountains, so he will have some fighting now.”

“Hurrah!” shouted Dudley, “don’t I wish I was with him!  Does the newspaper mention his name, Aunt Judy?”

“When shall we have a letter from him?”

“Not for some time yet, because this is telegraphed.  It will be all over before we hear.  We must hope and pray that Rob may be kept safely through it.”