KING.

"Eh? Yes, sir. All right, sir? I'm awake. Didn't know it was my turn
to-night."

"It is morning, Gedge," said Bracy as he bent over his companion, whose
face was just visible in the faint grey light which seemed to be
creeping in beneath the fir-boughs.

"My word, sir, so it is! I thought I was being called for sentry-go.
Nights seems precious short up here in the hills." Bracy laughed.

"Oh no," he said; "we've had a good long rest. Now, then. We must have
our wash at the first stream we come to. Let's get on at once."

"Ready in a jiffy, sir. Seems a pity, though, not to have our
breakfast, first."

"Why?" said Bracy sharply as he slung on his haversack.

"Such a nice lot o' dry wood to make a fire, sir."

"To make tea or coffee, or to boil eggs, my lad?" said Bracy.

"Think o' that, now! I forgot, sir. Seemed to come nat'ral for me to
get your breakfast ready, sir. Think o' that."

In two minutes Gedge was as ready as his officer, and he finished off by
shaking and beating the fir-needles off his _poshtin_, and stroking his
very short hair down first with one hand and then with the other, so as
to look as respectable and smart as he could when going on what he
called parade.

"Forward!" said Bracy suddenly. "We'll halt at the edge of the forest,
and have a good reconnoitre, though it is not light enough for us to see
far."

Bracy was quite right; for as they cautiously advanced to the open they
could see very little but the tall pyramidal peaks here and there, one
of which stood out more clearly than the others, and served as a
familiar landmark by which to steer for that day's journey, another
which Bracy had noted on the previous evening being set down as to be
somewhere about the end of their second day's march; but it was not
visible yet, a pile of clouds in its direction being all that could be
seen.

"Right. Forward!" said Bracy as he finished his careful look round.
"Two hours' good walk in this cool air, and then breakfast. To-morrow
we must begin to look out for anything that will serve for our future
meals, and use our rifles."

"Not try at any of the villages?"

"Villages!" said Bracy, smiling. "By that time we shall be far above
any villages, and up amongst the snow."

"Right, sir; all the same to me. I love a bit o' sport, though I never
got no farther at home than rats."

"Talk lower," said Bracy. "Sound travels far when everything is so
still."

Striki