etitor's head. General
McLeod made a hurried exclamation as the dark head before him was bared.
Paul heard him, but had no time to look round, for with an 'Are you
ready?--are you ready?--off!' the boys were started. Blundering,
tumbling, struggling up again, they rounded the opposite post, and came
hopping in, Paul an easy first. As he touched the winning tape, his
uplifted face beaming with pride, the old General turned white to the
lips, and stretching out his trembling hand he laid it on the head of
the laughing boy, and gasped uncertainly, 'Miguel Sarreco!'

* * * * *

There was very earnest talk in the Head Master's study that night,
between Dr. Rayne and the General and Captain Ferrers, glad of a quiet
hour at last.

'If I might suggest it,' said Dr. Rayne, 'you should tell your story
first, General; it may throw light on small things, which otherwise may
escape my friend Ferrers's notice and remembrance of all concerning this
poor little child.'

'I quite agree with you, and will reserve my story until after,' and
Captain Ferrers sat down, listening eagerly while the General began.

'I must go back many years. My wife, as you know, Rayne, was of
Portuguese descent, an ancestor of hers having married a senora in
Lisbon, after the Peninsular war. She (my wife) inherited a little
property there, and in some business connected with it I had met, at
different times, a far distant connection of hers, Don Manuel Sarreco,
with whom I became fast friends. About fifteen years ago I received an
urgent message to go to him at once. I travelled day and night, only to
find him dying--he had been mortally wounded in a duel. He knew me, and
urged on me his last request, to take his two children and bring them up
as my own in England. I hesitated, but his entreaties and the love I had
for him prevailed, and I took on myself the charge. The eldest was a
beautiful girl of seventeen, Miguel two years younger. They were
wonderfully alike, only in the boy's case the raven black hair had a
lock of white on one side, the "Sarreco streak," as it was proudly
called, which appeared in the family generation after generation. I
brought the children home with certain of their most cherished
possessions, some fine riding-horses, and a pair of curious dogs of
Andalusian breed.

'My son, Hugh (as you know) had joined the army, and having helped in
the final subjugation of Burmah, was then stationed at Manda