unior, you don't think you can ride, do you?"

"No," I said quietly.

"And you never will. I say, boys, what an ugly beggar he grows! I know
why he's learning riding."

"Do you? Why?" cried Dicksee.

"They're going to make a groom of him."

The blood flushed up in my face, and I began to feel as if the time must
be getting ripe.

"Why, he was bragging about going to be a soldier!" cried another boy.

"Him! A soldier! Ha, ha, ha!" cried Burr major. "They wouldn't even
have a big-eared-looking fellow like that for a parchment-whopper."

"He said a horse soldier."

"Horse sneak," said Burr major scornfully. "A soldier! Ho, ho, ho!
Ha, ha, ha! I say, boys--a soldier!"

He burst into a yell of laughter, all forced, of course, and his
satellites roared too, some of them, to curry favour, beginning to dance
about him, and look eagerly in his face, as if for orders.

Of course it was very absurd to mind, but I could not help it, and
tingled all over.

"Oh, I wish Mercer was here!" I thought to myself.

"The time must be ripe;" and I suppose my face showed something of what
I felt, for Burr major cried,--

"Look at the puppy, boys; he looks as if he wanted to bite. Did you
ever see such an impudent beggar? I don't believe his name's Burr at
all. It's only a bit of a show-off."

At that moment there was a hail from the paddock, and the school bell
rang for the first lesson.

"There, groom, you're wanted," said Burr major sneeringly. "Go on and
learn to ride, and mind you don't hurt yourself."

"Yah! Go on, ugly!" cried Dicksee, and the boys roared.

"Do you hear, sham sodger? Be off, and don't stand staring like that,"
cried Burr major again. "I told you to go."

"Go yourself," I retorted, now thoroughly roused, and feeling reckless.
"Go in to school and learn your lessons, and mind the Doctor don't cane
you."

"What?" cried the tall, thin fellow, flushing up, as he advanced upon me
menacingly, while the bell was rapidly getting toward its last
strokes,--"what's that you say?"

"Go in and get to your lessons, and take that fat-faced booby with you."

"Well!" cried Burr, "of all!" and he looked astounded.

"That's it, is it? Cheeking me because you know I can't stop now. But
all right, I shan't forget it. If I do, Dicksee, you remind me after
lessons that I've got to warm Jollop and this groom boy. The Doctor's
been spoiling them both lately, and they want taking down."

"All in,