ght I could make you feel. Some of
those went home."

"Not one of them, my lad," said Ben, smiling; "you didn't touch me
once."

"Not once?"

"No, sir; not once."

"Is that the truth, Ben?"

"Every word of it, sir. But never you mind that; you did fine; and if
you'll come to me every morning, I'll make you so that in three months I
shall have to look out for myself."

"I don't seem to have done any good at all," said Roy, pettishly.

"Not done no good, sir? Why, you've done wonders; you've taken all the
conceit out of yourself, and learned in one lesson that you don't know
anything whatever about a sword, except that it has a blade and a hilt
and a scabbard. And all the time you'd been thinking that all you had
to do was to chop and stab with it as easy as could be, and that there
was nothing more to learn. Now didn't you?"

"Something like it," said Roy, who was now cooling down; "but, of
course, I knew that you had to parry."

"But you didn't know how to, my lad; and look here, you haven't tried to
thrust yet. Here, give me a sharp one now."

"No, I can't do any more," said Roy, sulkily. "I don't know how."

"That's a true word, sir; but you're going to try?"

"No, I'm not," said Roy, whom a sharp sting in one leg from the worst
cut made a little vicious again.

"Come, come, come," said the old soldier, reproachfully. "That aren't
like my master's son talking; that's like a foolish boy without anything
in his head."

"Look here, Ben; don't you be insolent."

"Not I, Master Roy. I wouldn't be to you. Only I speak out because I'm
proud of you, my lad, and I want to see you grow up into a man like your
father. I tried hard not to hurt you, sir, but I suppose I did. But I
can't say I'm sorry."

"Then you ought to be, for you cut at me like a brute."

The old soldier shook his head sadly.

"You don't mean that, Master Roy," he said; "and it's only because
you're tingling a bit; that's all."

The man's words disarmed Roy, and the angry frown passed away, as he
said, frankly--

"No, I don't mean it now, Ben. The places don't tingle so; but I say,
there'll be black marks wherever you cut at me."

"Never mind, sir; they'll soon come white again, and you'll know next
time that you've got to have your weapon ready to save yourself. Well,
I dunno. I meant it right, but you've had enough of it. Some day Sir
Granby'll let you go to a big fencing-master as never faced a bit o'
steel drawn