ldiers. You can command them to do as you wish."

"Mine?" she asked slowly, as if not comprehending.

"Yes; they are the Lady Tennys Reserves," he said, smiling. A glad light
suddenly broke in her eyes, her face brightened and her whole mien
changed from despair to delight.

"Thank you, Hugh. I shall never forget you for this. You will never know
how happy I am to have these men to do my bidding. If it is necessary I
will show you that a woman of England can fight as valiantly as her
brothers, the bravest men in all the world." In her eyes there were
tears as she uttered these words,--tears of courage and pride.

"Would that I could have you by my side all through this fight. There is
an inspiration in your very gentleness that could make me do prodigious
deeds of valor. But, good-by, Tennys! I'll be back for lunch to-morrow!"
he cried as he dashed away. He could look into those swimming eyes no
longer and restrain a certain impulse that was trying to force him into
the liberation of an entirely unnecessary bit of sentiment.

"Good-by, Hugh! Don't be careless. What will the Reserves be worth to me
if you are killed? I shall pray for you, Hugh--every minute of this
awful night I shall pray for you."

"God bless you," he called back from Velvet Valley, his brain whirling
with the wish that he had kissed her and the fear of the result had he
made the attempt.

A few minutes later he sent his jacket back to the temple. It was his
most valued possession. Had he seen the look of tenderness in her eyes
as she hold up the worn, blue jacket; had he seen her kiss the blue
cloth impulsively, he would have been thrilled to the bone. But had he
been there to observe the startled, mystified blush that rose to her
brow when she found that she had really kissed his coat, he might have
been as perplexed as she over the unusual act.

With heart beating violently and nerves strung to their highest tension,
Ridgeway led the way to the river. He was as confident of victory as if
he were returning from the pass with the result out of doubt. Reaching
the river, his men plunged into the water and swam across, not waiting
for the canoes. He and the king were rowed over, meeting the swimmers as
they came up from the bank, dripping and puffing. Again the march was
resumed, and within fifteen minutes the band was at the foot of the
hills. Here Hugh called a halt.

With Pootoo and a dozen men he went forward to take a look down the long
g