"It was all my fault, I suppose," said Fred, with a sigh.

"Fault, sir; not it. Nobody's fault. People can't do impossibilities.
Why, there was sixty-five of 'em in the troop, and of course they
regularly rode us down!"

"But you did see something of the fighting?"

"To be sure I did, sir."

"Did--did I disgrace myself, Samson?"

"Did you what yourself, sir? Come, I like that! If digging your spurs
into your horse, and shouting to us to come on, and then going to work
with your sword as if it was a scythe, and the pleasaunce hadn't been
cut for a month in June's disgracing yourself, why, I suppose you did!"

"Then I did fight?"

"Fight! I should think you aid."

"Like a man, Samson--like an officer should?"

"Why, of course you did, sir!"

"As my father would have liked to see me fight, if he had been there?"

"Well, sir, that question's a puzzler. You see, fathers is fathers,
and, as far as ever I've been able to find out, they don't like their
boys to fight. Why, my father was always giving me and Nat the strap
for fighting, because we was always at it--strap as he wore round his
waist, when he wasn't banging our heads together. You see, Nat was
always at me, and knocking me about. We never did agree; but our old
man wouldn't let us fight, and I don't believe your father would have
liked to see you trying to cut people's heads off with that sword of
yours."

"Well, then," said Fred, smiling faintly, "would my colonel have been
satisfied with what I did to save the prisoners and my men?"

"Wouldn't be much of a colonel if he wasn't. There, dear lad, don't you
fret yourself about that. I've heered the men here say you did wonders
for such a boy, and a big sergeant who fetched you off your horse was up
here yesterday--"

"Yesterday?" interrupted Fred. "Why, we were travelling yesterday!"

"That we were not, my lad, for we've been lying here two days."

"Oh!" ejaculated Fred.

"While you've been off your head."

"Oh, Samson!"

"Well, sir, that's better than your head being off you."

"Then you are sure I did my duty?"

"Duty, sir? Yes; that's what I was going to tell you. The big six-foot
sergeant who fetched you off your horse with a great cut of his heavy
sword was up here yesterday to see you; and I heered him say to himself,
`Poor boy! I feel ashamed of myself for cutting him down. What would
his poor mother say to me if she knew?'"

"I can lie patiently now till I get well