ask him whether he had come to any decision. But that
officer never spoke; for the simple reason that the words, uttered after
dinner, when he was in a good humour, were entirely forgotten, and as if
they had never been uttered.

One day upon parade, and away upon the Common, when the band was drawn
up on one side after playing, during a march past, there was a little
scene with one of Dick's friends--the man whose acquaintance he had
first made and whose good feeling he still retained.

"Here, sergeant," shouted the colonel; and Brumpton doubled up to him,
halted, and stood fast, conscious that officers and men were on the
grin. "Look here, Brumpton, this really will not do. Confound you,
sir! you're making the regiment a laughing-stock."

"Very sorry, sir--try to do my duty."

"Yes, yes," cried the colonel. "You are a capital sergeant; but look at
you this morning!"

Brumpton rolled his eyes about, but stood still.

"I would not do that, man; you can't see behind you. Are you aware that
the back seams of your jacket are opening out?"

"No, sir, but they will do it."

"Then why the dickens don't you train and get rid of some of that
superfluous fat? There, you can't stop on parade. Go and get your
jacket mended."

Poor Brumpton's face changed as he turned to go, but before he had gone
far the colonel cried:

"Stop! There, go on with your duty, sir.--Poor fellow," he muttered, "I
can't be hard upon him. But he is so disgustingly fat; eh, Lacey?"

"Yes, he is fat," said the lieutenant, thoughtfully. "Poor beggar! it
would be rough upon him on service if we had to run. I mean retreat,
sir!"

"The 205th will never be in such a position, sir," said the colonel
stiffly. "Run, indeed! The 205th run!"

"I beg your pardon, sir," said the lieutenant, whose face was now almost
as red as his uniform.

"Granted, Mr Lacey; but, for goodness' sake, don't you ever let me hear
you say a word again about running."

"Not forward, sir?"

"Oh, yes; that, of course."

The long morning's evolutions were gone through, the band went to the
front, and the regiment was marched back to barracks; and that same
afternoon, as Dick sat alone in the reading-room, copying a band-part
for Wilkins, there was a panting noise close behind him, and Brumpton's
thick, rich voice exclaimed:

"Oh, there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere. How are you,
Smithson?"

"Quite well," said Dick, smiling in the non-com