id Jerry, humbly.

"Then you're a fool, Brigley."

"Yes, sir."

"If Smithson had been a common sort of pothouse-haunting fellow, it
might have been so; but Smithson was a clever musician, and too much of
a gentleman to do such a thing."

"Thank ye, sir."

"`Thank ye!'" cried the lieutenant, irritably; "what do you mean by
that?"

"I mean, sir, that's what he is."

"Oh, pooh! he has not deserted."

"I don't know, sir," said Jerry, dubiously.

"Look here, Brigley: I don't often use bad language, but if you talk
like that, confound you! I shall swear at you."

"I wish you would, sir," said Jerry.

"What?"

"I say I wish you would, sir. It would seem to do me good like, for I'm
reg'larly upset about Smithson, sir."

"There, I beg your pardon, Brigley. I'm sorry I spoke so roughly."

"Oh, don't do that, sir. It don't matter. I don't want to think he's
gone, sir, because it's 'ard--because he seemed to trust me a bit, and I
don't like for him to have gone off without saying a word."

"Look here: you knew him before he joined?"

"Oh, yes, sir; I knew him."

"You were friends?"

"No, sir--not exactly friends, but I knew him."

"And--There! I don't want to pump you, Brigley, but I suppose he was in
quite a different station of life, and got into some trouble, which made
him leave home?"

"Beg pardon, sir; Dick Smithson made me swear as I'd keep my mouth shut
about him, and I give him my word; and, all respeck to you, sir, I'm
going to keep it; but I can't contradict what you said, sir, all the
same."

"Well, it would be confoundedly ungentlemanly of me to be prying into
anyone's affairs, Brigley, and I won't ask questions about him. I hope,
though, he hasn't done anything so foolish as to desert, because, even
if he is in the band, he is a soldier, and--I have heard nothing. Has
it been reported?"

"Yes, sir; and Mr Wilkins is making a big stir about it. Never had a
civil word for him, and used to sneer at his playing; but, now Dick's
gone, he's going on as if he couldn't spare him at no price."

"How do you know--who told you?"

"The bombardon, sir."

"The what? Why don't you say the big drum?"

"Beg pardon, sir, I meant Sergeant Brumpton, the fa--stout musician,
sir, as is practising for the band."

"Then they must be sending out notices to the police all over the place.
Tut--tut--tut! This is a great pity. I must ask you one thing,
Brigley: has there anything happened that wou