s
gliding from his shoulder, and out of the window, to rise into sight
from the platform, where the men greeted it with a hearty cheer.

"Ha!" ejaculated Ben, as the colours reached the top, and he fastened
the line. "That don't look like surrendering, sir."

"No, Ben; but I want to know who dared to cut it. Who has been here?"

"No one but old Jenk, sir. He came and stopped some time, standing in
the door-way, looking on and chattering to us a bit before he went
down."

"Oh, but surely he wouldn't have done such a thing as that, Ben!"

"So I say, sir. If he did, it's quite time he was taken over to the
church, and buried, for he must be out of his wits."

"Oh, impossible! He couldn't have done it. Are you sure it was cut?"

"Well, sir, you see the end."

"It must have been frayed by rubbing against the edge of the parapet."

"Didn't look like it sir; that's all that I can say."

"Has any one else been here?"

"Not as I know of, sir; but we've been too busy to see, keeping our
faces to the enemy. I thought I heard some one run down."

"Well, it was an unfortunate accident, Ben; but you've soon repaired
it," said Roy. And he stepped out on to the platform to look aloft at
the flag, which was once more fluttering and flapping in the breeze; and
then he stepped upon a stone to gaze over towards the enemy's battery to
see if the lowering of the flag had had any effect there.

But all was quiet. They had evidently ceased firing for the evening,
and the shades of night were descending so quickly, that the figures in
the rear of the earthwork were beginning to look dim and indistinct.
Away to the right, though, was a shadowy body which seemed to be moving
along towards where the enemy's camp lay, behind the wooded patch of
country; and Roy was not long in coming to the conclusion that it was a
troop of horse, returning from the neighbourhood of the battery.

He took a long sweep round, gazing hard at the beautiful wooded
landscape, and the soft calm of the hour, with the sweet moist odours of
evening which were wafted to him by the breeze, had a depressing effect.
He found himself thinking of what a sad business it all was, that the
peaceful district should become the scene of war and bloodshed--little
enough of the latter; but who could tell how soon a terrible assault
might be made upon the place, and their guns would have to be directed
so as to mow down the advancing enemy like the hay fell before t