ong the names sent in for the Victoria Cross; and although I did
not get it, the fact that I was recommended will count in my favour."

"You are the right stuff, lad," the sergeant said, putting his hand on
his shoulder, "whether I or the captain was your father. I reckon that
it was he--I don't see where you can have got what there is in you from
our side. And now it is time to be going back to camp. Who would have
thought, when we strolled out together, that so much was to come out of
our walk?"

While this conversation had been going on, Rupert Clinton and his two
old school-fellows were sitting on the ground in the tent which Easton
shared with another of General Stewart's aides-de-camp.

"The scene has changed," Easton said as he handed them each a tumbler of
weak rum and water, "otherwise one might imagine that we were in my
study at River-Smith's, and that Skinner was about to lay down the law
about the next football match."

"Ah! if we had but Edgar here!" Rupert sighed.

"I did not like to ask whether you had found him, Clinton; but I guessed
you had not by your keeping silence."

"No, we have heard nothing of him beyond the fact that we have
occasionally a letter saying that he is well and comfortable. They were
all posted in London, but I still believe that he is in the army. My
father is as convinced as ever that the statement of that woman I told
you of was a false one, and that Edgar is just as likely to be his son
as I am. I know I would gladly give up my share of the heirship to find
him. However, unless I run against him by pure chance I am not likely to
do that. We still put in advertisements occasionally, but my people at
home are as convinced as I am that we shall not hear from him until he
has made his way in some line or other, and he is in an independent
position."

"He always was a sticker," Skinner said, "and if he took a thing in hand
would carry it through. You remember his rush in our last match with
Green's, how he carried the ball right down through them all. I should
not worry about it, Clinton; it will all come right in time. He will
turn up some day or other; and when he finds that matters are just as
they were before, and that your people believe him to be just as likely
to be their son as you are, he will fall into his old place again--at
least that is my opinion of it."

"Yes, that is what I hope and believe," Rupert said. "Well, Easton, how
do you like the Guards, and how do