ldiers had gone."

"Hang the soldiers, sir!" cried the elder irascibly. "I wish they'd
keep in their barracks instead of coming hunting their prisoners all
over this beautiful countryside. Sit down and go on eating."

The boy resumed his place, and began making half-moons in the edge of
his sandwich and trying to munch hard; but somehow his appetite was
gone, and before he was half through the second sandwich he watched his
opportunity, slipped it into his pocket, and as his uncle turned round
to look at him he leaned forward and helped himself to a third from the
wallet.

"Ah, that's better! Eat away, boy. We have got a long walk back, and
you will have plenty of appetite for a good high tea. Hang the
prisoners as well as the soldiers. If I had known that this great cage
full of Bony's French frogs was up here I don't believe I should have
come--that is, unless I thought that Nap himself was a prisoner here
too, when I might have been tempted to come and have a grin at the wild
beast in his cage. Eh, what? What did you do that for?"

He looked curiously at his nephew, who, after a glance across the pool,
had involuntarily stretched out one hand to grip his elder's arm.

"Do you hear me, sir?" he cried sharply. "Why did you pinch my arm like
that?"

The boy, whose face had looked rather white the moment before, flushed
scarlet, and stammered out something confused and strange.

"Why, hullo, boy!" cried his uncle sharply, and he leaned forward in
turn and caught the lad by the wrist. "Why, what's the matter with you?
Haven't been overdoing it in the sun, have you? Here, take my cup and
have a glass of water."

"No, no, uncle; I am quite right. There's nothing the matter with me.
It's--it's--it's--"

"It's what?" said Uncle Paul sharply, as he gazed full in the boy's eyes
and held tightly by his wrist. "Well, it's what?"

"Perhaps I am a bit tired, uncle. I have been working very hard, and I
turned faint and hungry a little while ago."

"Humph!" grunted Uncle Paul. "Then do as I tell you. Drink a cup of
that clear cold water."

"That's better," he continued, a few minutes later. "Now eat another
sandwich. No nonsense, sir! Do as I tell you!"

The boy sighed and helped himself to another of the double slices and
their contents, and for the next few minutes no word was spoken, the
pair sitting opposite to one another and munching or ruminating steadily
away, the younger feeling as if every