e point of
his spear with a tuft of dried grass.

"Well, men's the same as bottles; if you don't give them plenty to eat
and drink you can't get plenty of fighting out of them. Always see to
your foraging when you are on the march. I always do, and I have got
something ready for us both now. But look here, my lad, this isn't at
home, and I'm not going to drive out the swine, and you are not going to
your wax table. We are soldiering now, and whether it's two thousand or
only two, things are just the same. We have got to keep a sharp
look-out for the enemy."

"You didn't," said Marcus, quickly, "or you would have seen me following
you."

"That's right," said Serge, "and it was because I could think of nothing
else but about being such a bad un as I was and forsaking my post. I
dursen't look back either, for fear that I should see someone following
me. But that's all over now; you and me's joined forces, and we must go
on straight. I don't think it's necessary, but we will just take a look
round for danger before we sit down to enjoy our breakfast."

"Enjoy?" said Marcus, dubiously.

"Yes, that's right. We shall both have company over it. It's been
precious dull to me, being all alone. So now then; take the lead,
captain, and give the orders to advance for a scout all round before we
sit down to our meal."

"Very well, then," cried Marcus. "Forward! This way first."

"Yes, but that's too much of it," said the old soldier. "A commanding
officer don't make speeches to his men 'cept when he's going into
action, and not always then. What you ought to have said was just
`forward!' and then advanced with your troops to follow you."

Marcus nodded and smiled, and, side by side and spear in hand, they
climbed to the highest ground, carefully surveying their surroundings of
wood and rock--every place, in fact, likely to give harbour to an enemy,
till all at once Marcus threw out his left arm across his companion's
breast, and, stopping short, stood pointing with his spear to something
half hidden behind a patch of bushes upon the other side of the stream.

Serge sheltered his eyes on the instant, and gave a satisfied nod.

"Right, captain," he whispered; "but your force isn't strong enough to
surround the enemy. You must advance in line. It's an ambuscade."

The half-concealed figure was nearly a hundred yards away, and, by the
time they had covered half the distance, Marcus' keen young eyes sent a
me