hink she can. Sailors have to keep watch, and
learn their drill, and take orders, and fight under their captain, just
like soldiers.'

And then Teddy went home and electrified his mother by telling her, with
an air of great importance, 'Mr. Upton and I are going to give the
soldiers a tea-party when they come.'

The days passed; Mr. Upton was as good as his word. A large tea was
provided in the village schoolroom, Colonel and Mrs. Graham taking a
hearty interest in it; and when the soldiers came in one hot, dusty
afternoon, everything was ready for them.

Teddy and others of the village children crowded round the Hare and
Hounds when they arrived, and Nancy was foremost of the crowd.

'I don't think much of soldiers,' she said, her nose tilted up in
disdain. 'They're very dirty men, and covered with dust, and they've no
band, nor flags flying, nor nothing.'

If Teddy was disappointed in the look of his heroes, he did not say so;
but Sam remarked, 'I expect they've left the band and the flags in the
town; these are only the lot that they can't put up there.'

Later in the afternoon Teddy made his way to the old elm outside the Hare
and Hounds, where several of the men were resting on the wooden benches,
some with pots of beer, and round whom some of the admiring villagers had
made a little circle.

He pushed his way in with his accustomed fearlessness.

'Please, is Mr. Tim Stokes here?'

The soldiers laughed, and bandied a few jokes on the comrade alluded to.

'What do you want with him, youngster?'

'I want to speak to him.'

'I guess you'll find him under one of the tables in the tap-room; old
Bouncer is pretty dry after a march like we've had to-day.'

There was a roar of laughter at this, but Teddy did not understand the
joke.

'I mustn't go inside the Hare and Hounds,' he said; 'I promised mother I
never would. Will you fetch him out for me?'

And turning to a good-natured-looking young fellow, Teddy put his hand
coaxingly on his arm. The soldier looked into the boy's fair face with a
laugh and then a sigh, and rising to his feet said, 'All right, little
chap, I'll fetch him out to you.'

He was gone some time, and Teddy improved his opportunity by making
friends with those around him; it was not long before he had acquainted
them with the fact of his being a soldier's son, and from that he drifted
into telling the story of 'Father's button!' There was vociferous
applause when he had finished.