ollower.

"I have told you what to do," he said at last quite calmly. "You must
use your brains."

"Never had much, sir," replied Gedge bitterly; "and now they're about
froze up with cold and hungriness and trouble. I ain't fit to send on
such a job as this, sir. I'm sure to muff it."

"Do you want to find out some day, my lad, that those poor comrades of
ours have been massacred to a man through your hanging back from doing
what might have saved them?"

"I wish I may die if I do, sir!" cried Gedge passionately.

"Then go."

"But I'm cold and hungry, sir, and it's getting dark, and I don't know
my way."

"Crush those feelings down like a hero, and go."

"Hero, sir? Me a hero!" cried Gedge bitterly. "Oh? there's none of
that stuff in me."

There was just enough light reflected from the upper peaks to enable the
couple to see each other's faces--the one frowning and angry, and
belying the calm, stern fixedness into which it had been forced; the
other wild, anxious, and with the nerves twitching sharply at the
corners of the eyes and mouth, as if its owner were grimacing in mockery
of the young officer's helplessness and suffering.

"Gedge," said Bracy suddenly, after making an effort as if to swallow
down the rage and despair from which he suffered.

"Yes, sir, I know what you're going to say; but you're awful bad. Now,
you have a bit to eat, and then go to sleep, and when you wake up let's
see if I can't manage to get you on one of those flat bits o' slaty
stone, and then I'll get a strap to it, and pull you down the slope--
you'll quite slide like--and when we're off the snow I'll pig-a-back you
to the first wood, and we'll hide there, and I'll keep helping you on a
bit till we get to this here Jack-and-Jill Valley. You see, the job
can't be done without you."

"This is all shuffling and scheming, Gedge, to escape doing your duty,"
said Bracy sternly.

"Is it, sir?" said the lad, with an assumption of innocence.

"You know it is, sir. You don't want to go?"

"Well, sir, I suppose that is about the size of it."

"Do you want me to look upon you as a contemptible cur?" said Bracy,
flashing out into anger now.

"No, sir; o' course not."

"I see how it is. I've been believing you to be all that is manly and
true, while all the time I've been labouring under a gross mistake, for
now you are put to the test you are only base metal. Go; leave me.
Gedge, you are a miserable, contemptible coward