tle army that was now closing us in, for scouts had
brought us word how the enemy had occupied positions all around.

They were evidently examining us carefully; and I could not help
admiring the daring of the well-mounted, gaily-dressed men who had
halted about a couple of hundred yards away, right in front of our guns,
which, at a word, would have belched forth a shower of grape.

There was not much for them to see, only the gunners with their
linstocks, and the heads of the support of infantry, sheltering for the
most part in the houses on either side of the road, the limbers and
horses of each gun, and those of the gunners being back in an opening a
few yards away, and completely hidden from the party in front.

And as I watched them, I could not help thinking that a clever officer
who was not sparing of his men, might easily take our guns, for if one
party made a dash at them, and drew our fire, a reserve party might dash
in, and sabre the gunners before they had time to reload.

Just then I was conscious of a curious movement among our men, eyes
being turned to me appealingly, while every gunner was on the _qui
vive_, and I could see that at a word the guns would be rapidly
discharged.

But I had no orders to commence hostilities, unless an attack was made,
and I stood as eager as the men, watching the scouting party, as there
was a sudden movement among them. They opened out, and one whom I had
not before seen rode through them quite to the front, and just then a
voice behind me whispered--

"Look, Gil! Do you see?"

Yes, I had seen; and I had been so taken up by the sight that I had not
heard Brace come up to the guns.

"I could fetch that dandy chap down, and a dozen more," I heard a man
whisper.

"Silence there," said Brace, sternly. Then to me, "Why, Gil, I thought
he must be miles and miles away from here."

"Then it is Ny Deen," I said excitedly. "I thought I must be wrong."

"Yes, it is he," replied Brace. "And I feel as if I ought to fire, and
sweep the whole gang away; but it seems such a cowardly thing to do."

The temptation to fire was removed directly after, for the party drew
back and disappeared, while all was still in the blazing sunshine,
saving a dull humming sound of many voices, telling that the little town
was densely thronged by the new-comers. And once more Brace drew back
as if to go, but stopped short, for the colonel and major of the foot
regiment appeared, and Brace