I'm afraid you are goin' to
leave us."

The corporal made a slight motion with his head, as if of dissent, and
his lips moved.

Hardy bent his ear over them.

"Niver a bit, owld man," whispered Flynn.

"Shall I read the Bible to you, lad?" inquired the sergeant.

The corporal smiled faintly, and nodded.

After reading a few verses Hardy began to talk kindly and earnestly to
the dying man, who lay with his eyes closed.

When he was about to leave, Flynn looked up, and, giving his comrade's
hand a gentle squeeze, said, in a stronger whisper than before--

"Thankee, sergeant. It's kind o' ye to be so consarned about my sowl,
and I agrees wid ivery word ye say; but I'm not goin' away yit, av ye
plaze."

He ceased to speak, and again closed his eyes. The doctor and the
chaplain chanced to enter the hospital together as Hardy retired. The
result of their visit was that they said the corporal was dead, and
orders were given to make his coffin. A firing party was also told off
to bury him the next morning with military honours. Early next morning,
accordingly, the firing party started for the hospital ship with the
coffin, but, before getting half-way to it, they were signalled to go
back, for the man was not yet dead!

In short, Corporal Flynn had begun to talk in a wild way about his
estate in Ireland, and his owld grandmother; and either the influence of
these thoughts, or Hardy's visit, had given him such a fillip that from
that day he began to revive. Nevertheless he had received a very severe
shake, and, not very long after, was invalided home. Meanwhile, as we
have said, busy preparations were being made by General Graham--who had
arrived and taken command of the forces--to offer battle to Osman's
troops.

In the midst of all the excitement and turmoil, however, the new
chaplain, who turned out to be "a trump," managed to hold a temperance
meeting; and the men who desired to serve God as well as their Queen and
country became more energetic than ever in trying to influence their
fellows and save themselves from the curse of strong drink, which had
already played such havoc among the troops at Suakim.

Miles attended the meeting, and, according to promise, signed the
total-abstinence pledge. Owing to the postponement of meetings and the
press of duty he had not been able to do it sooner.

Shortly after that he was passed by the doctors as fit for duty in the
field. So were Armstrong, Moses Pyne,