f.
He fell instantly, mortally wounded, with his entrails cut open. At
the same moment the tramp of the rounds was heard, and the native glided
back into the darkness from which he had so recently emerged.

When the soldiers came to the post they found the poor young soldier
dying. He was able to tell what had occurred while they were making
preparations to carry him away, but when they reached the fort they
found that his brief career had ended.

A damp was cast on the spirits of the men of his company when they
learned next day what had occurred, for the lad had been a great
favourite; but soldiers in time of war are too much accustomed to look
upon death in every form to be deeply or for long affected by incidents
of the kind. Only the comrades who had become unusually attached to
this poor youth mourned his death as if he had been a brother in the
flesh as well as in the ranks.

"He was a good lad," said Sergeant Gilroy, as they kept watch on the
roof of the fort that night. "Since we came here he has never missed
writing to his mother a single mail. It is true, being an amiable lad,
and easily led through his affections, he had given way to drink to some
extent, but no later than yesterday I prevailed upon him to join our
temperance band--"

"What? become a Blue Light!" exclaimed Sutherland, with something of a
sneer in his tone.

"Ah, comrade; and I hope to live to see you join our band also, and
become one of the bluest lights among us," returned the sergeant
good-humouredly.

"Never!" replied Sutherland, with emphasis; "you'll never live to see
that."

"Perhaps not, but if I don't live to see it some one else will,"
rejoined the sergeant, laying his hand gently on the man's shoulder.

"Is that you again? It's wishin' I am that I had you in ould Ireland,"
growled Corporal Flynn, referring to Osman Digna, whose men had opened
fire on the neighbouring fort, and again roused the whole garrison.
"Slape is out o' the question wi' such a muskitos buzzin' about. Bad
luck to 'ee!"

"What good would it do to send him to Ireland?" asked Simkin, as he
yawned, rolled over, and, like the rest of his comrades, loaded his
rifle.

"Why, man, don't ye see, av he was in ould Ireland he couldn't be
disturbin' our night's rest here. Moreover, they'd make a dacent man of
'im there in no time. It's always the way; if an English blackguard
goes over to Ireland he's almost sure to return home more or less of a
gi