st."

"Yes, for you to keep off. My father's orders are that the castle is to
be put in a state of defence directly."

Down went the bottle on the floor, and the oil began to trickle out.

"But--but," stammered the old fellow, "what does her ladyship say?"

"That she trusts to my father's faithful old follower to work with me,
and do everything possible for the defence of the place. Hurrah, Ben!
God save the king!"

"Hurrah! God save the king!" roared Ben; and running to the wall he
snatched a sword from where it hung, drew it, and waved it round his
head. "Hah! Master Roy, you've made me feel ten years younger with
those few words."

"Have I, Ben? Why, somehow all this has made me feel ten years older."

"Then you've got a bit off me that I had to spare, Master Roy, and good
luck to you with it. Then," he continued, after listening with eager
attention to Roy's rendering of his father's orders, "we must go to work
at once, sir."

"Yes; at once, Ben."

"Then the first thing is to order the gate to be kept shut, and that no
one goes out or in unless he has a pass from her ladyship or from you."

"Done, Ben. I have been to old Jenk, and he has shut the gate, and
buckled on his old sword."

"Hah! hum! yes," said the old soldier, rubbing one of his ears; "that
sounds very nice, Master Roy, but," he continued, with a look of
perplexity, "it doesn't mean much, now, does it?"

"I don't understand you."

"Why, sir, I mean this: that if any one came up to the gate and wanted
to come in--`Give the pass,' says Jenk. `Haven't got one,' says whoever
it is. `Can't pass, then,' says Jenk, and then--"

"Well, yes, and then?" said Roy. "Why, sir, if he took a good deep
breath, and then gave a puff, he'd blow poor old Jenk into the moat.
He's a good old boy, and I don't want to hurt his feelings, but we can't
leave things at the gate like that."

"But it would break his heart to be told he is--he--"

"Too rusty to go on, sir," said Ben, grimly. "But it would break her
ladyship's heart if we didn't do our duty, and we shan't be doing that
if we leave our outwork in the hands of poor old Jenk."

"What's to be done?"

"I know, sir. Tell him the gate's very important, and that he must have
two men with him, and let him suppose they're under his command."

"That's it, capital!" cried Roy. "Then we must place two men there with
him at once."

"Ye-e-es, sir," said Ben, drily. "But who are we to place ther