e spotted cotton handkerchief.

"All right!" was Jacky's prompt reply. "I say, was you fightin' with
that man?"

"Ay, that was I, and I've not done with him yet."

Jacky breathed hard and looked upon the young sailor-lad with a deep
reverential awe, feeling that he was in the presence of a real Jack the
Giant-killer.

"He runn'd away!" said Jacky in amazement. "Did you hit him hard?"

"Not with my fists; they ain't big enough for that yet. We've only had
a sparring-match with words and legs."

Jacky glanced at Billy's legs as if he regarded them in the light of
dire engines of destruction. Indeed, his active mind jumped at once to
the conclusion that the sailor's must be a kicking mode of warfare; but
he was too much amazed to make any rejoinder.

"Now, my boy, I'm going this way, so I'll bid you good-day," said Billy.
Jacky informed him that he was going the same way,--having only been
taking a stroll,--and would willingly go back: whereupon Billy put his
arm round his shoulder, as boys are wont to do, and Jacky grasped Billy
round the waist, and thus they wandered home together.

"I say, you're a funny chap," observed the young sailor, in a comic
vein, as they went along.

"So are you," replied Jacky, with intense gravity, being deeply serious.

Billy laughed; but as the two friends at that moment emerged from the
pass and came in sight of the White House, the laugh was suddenly
checked, and was followed by a sound that was not unlike choking. Jacky
looked up in alarm, and was surprised to see tears hopping over his
companion's brown cheeks. To find a lad who could put a giant to flight
was wonderful enough, but to find one who could cry without any reason
at all was beyond belief. Jacky looked perplexed and said, "I say,
what's the matter?"

"Oh! nothing; only this is my old home, and my scrimmage with that
villain has made me come plump on it without thinkin'. I was born here.
I know every stone and bush. I--I--there's the old--"

He choked again at this point, and Jacky, whose mind was only opening,
stood looking on in silent wonder.

"My old granny lives here; old Moggy--"

The expression of Jacky's face caused Billy to stop.

"Why, what's wrong, boy?"

"Is--is--o-old Moggy _your_ granny?" cried Jacky, eagerly, stumbling
over his words as if he had come upon stepping-stones in the dark.

"Ay; what then?"

"Eh! _I_ know her."

"Do you, my boy?"

"Ye-yes; sh-she's dyin'!"

The r