d."

Miss Bertram stole a glance at the boys' faces as she finished singing.

With a wriggle and a twist Dudley turned his back upon her; but not
before she had seen the blue eyes swimming with tears, and heard a
choking sob being hastily swallowed. Roy stood erect, his little face
quivering with emotion, and his usually pale cheek flushed a deep
crimson, whilst his small determined mouth and chin looked more resolute
and daring than ever. His hands thrust deep in the pockets of his
knickerbockers he looked straight before him and repeated with emphasis,

"They played every inch of the way to meet their death!"

"Regular little heroes, weren't they?" said Miss Bertram.

"Rather," came from Roy's lips, and then without another word he ran out
of the room.

"Do you like it, David?" Miss Bertram asked, touching Dudley lightly on
the shoulder.

"No--I--don't--it makes a fellow in a blue funk." And two fists were
hastily brushed across the eyes.

"Shall I sing you something more cheerful?"

"No, thanks, not to-night, I think I'll go to Roy."

And Dudley, too, made his exit, leaving his aunt touched and amused at
the effect of the song.

An hour after the rain had ceased, and the sun was shining out. Down the
village street walked the two boys enjoying their freedom more soberly
than was their wont.

"We must, we must, we _must_ be heroes, Dudley!"

"Yes, if we get a chance."

"But why shouldn't we have it as well as those two boys. I wonder
sometimes what God meant us to do when He made us! And I'm not going to
be in the dumps because I'm not very strong. For look at Nelson: old
Selby told us he was always very seedy and shaky, always ill; and not
being big in body doesn't matter, for Nelson was a little man and so was
Napoleon, and lots of the great men have been short and stumpy and
hideous! I mean to do something before I die, if only an opportunity
will come! Do you remember the story of the little chap in Holland, who
put his hand in the hole in the sand bank, and kept the whole ocean from
coming in and washing away hundreds of towns and villages? If I could
only do a thing like that, something that would do good to millions of
people; something that would be worth living for! If I could save
somebody's life from fire, or drowning, or some kind of danger! Don't
you long for something of that sort, eh?"

"I don't know that I do," was the slow response; "but I should like you
to get a chance of it if yo