d
as a peacock, when the Colonel rode along the ranks, noting everything
and ready to give boy after boy a look of recognition and a word of
praise about something which had been improved; for Colonel Graves had
one of those memories which seem never to forget, and it had long been
borne in upon the lads in the ranks that their leader noted and
remembered everything, ready for blame or praise.

In this case he drew rein opposite one very thin-looking fellow, making
his sallow face turn red.

"Felt any more of that sprain, Smith?"

"No, sir; right as can be now. Ain't felt it a bit."

"That's right. Fall out, my lad, if it turns weak in the least, and get
a ride."

"Yes, sir; thanky, sir. I will, sir."

A little farther on there was another halt.

"Those boots right, Judkins?"

"Yes, sir; fit splendid, sir."

"Good. Take care for the future; you and all of you. A man can't march
well unless he has a comfortable boot, and a chafe once begun and
neglected has sent many a good soldier into hospital."

"These are fust-rate, sir," said the man quickly. "Easy as a glove."

And so on as the Colonel rode along the ranks, making every man feel
that his officer had a real interest in his welfare.

The inspection over, the advance-guard set off, then the order, "Band to
the front," was given, and the regiment filed off past the Colonel's
horse, making for a narrow opening between two hills which seemed to
overlap, and sent back the strains of the musical instruments in a
wonderful series of echoes which went rolling among the mountains, to
die away in the distance.

Half-an-hour later the only signs left of the occupation of the pass
were a few birds hovering about and stooping from time to time after
some fragment of food. But all at once the birds took flight, as if in
alarm, and the cause was not far to seek; for there was a flash in the
afternoon sunshine among the rugged masses of half-frozen rocks on one
side of the amphitheatre; then another flash, and a looker-on would have
seen that it came from the long barrel of a gun.

Directly after appeared a tall, swarthy man in white which looked dingy
by comparison with the beds of snow lying on the northern side of the
mountains.

The man stole cautiously from stone to stone, and after making sure that
the last soldier forming the baggage and rear-guard had disappeared, he
ran quickly back to one of the snow-filled ravines and made a signal by
holding hi