her hand in his, Pressed it
gently and said to her, "Eileen, look at me. You ask me to take care of
myself. Why should I do so? Who would care if anything did happen to
me? My mother and brother might, and Wilfred and Tom Salter would, I am
sure. But who else? Tell me, Eileen dear, that you would care. Tell
me that you love me now as I love you, and have done ever since we first
met, and I promise you I will guard my life for your sake alone."

"Ah, Jack, you know how I love you without asking me!" whispered Eileen,
looking now directly into his face, and smiling so sweetly at him that
all his fears left him in an instant, and he forgot everything but the
fact that Eileen was there and that he loved her and she him.

It was the happiest moment of their lives, and when Jack at last kissed
her and strode from the room he and Eileen were engaged to pass through
life together if it pleased God to spare them during the remainder of
the war.

Walking along the trench, Jack turned sharp to the left, and half-way to
the point at which his friends were to wait for him, met Frank Russel,
leaning against the wall of earth, and thoughtfully staring at the sky.

"Got it over, lad?" the former asked kindly.

"Yes, Frank, I've said good-bye to Eileen," Jack answered, "and before
we join the others I want to tell you something. Perhaps I ought to
have spoken to you before, but the fact that I have had so little time
must be my excuse. With your consent Eileen and I will be married some
day."

"Lad, give me your hand!" exclaimed Frank Russel enthusiastically. "God
bless you, old boy, and I trust that you'll live to see the end of this
awful war! I can tell you, Jack, that there's no other man I know whom
I'd rather have as a son-in-law. You're young, but that will alter fast
enough, and the girl is a good one. She's been a devoted daughter to
me, as you well know, and if she's only half as good to her husband when
she's married, then he'll have no cause to complain. Shake hands on it
again. Now let us get along."

When the news of Jack's engagement was communicated to Tom Salter and
Wilfred they congratulated him heartily. Then his pony was led out, and
after a cordial farewell he mounted and left the town. It was a
pitch-dark night, and luck was again in his favour, so that he escaped
the notice of the Boer pickets, and when day dawned was well away from
Kimberley.

It was a long and lonely ride to Mafeking,