stones. He
never looked left or right. He sailed away southerly, full spread
before the evening breeze, and when we had watched him out to sea, we
were silent. We understood that Earth bred few men like to this man.

'Presently Allo brought the ponies and held them for us to mount--a
thing he had never done before.

"'Wait awhile," said Pertinax, and he made a little altar of cut turf,
and strewed heather-bloom atop, and laid upon it a letter from a girl
in Gaul.

"'What do you do, O my friend?" I said.

"'I sacrifice to my dead youth," he answered, and, when the flames had
consumed the letter, he ground them out with his heel. Then we rode
back to that Wall of which we were to be Captains.'

Parnesius stopped. The children sat still, not even asking if that
were all the tale. Puck beckoned, and pointed the way out of the wood.
'Sorry,' he whispered, 'but you must go now.'

'We haven't made him angry, have we?' said Una. 'He looks so far off,
and--and--thinky.'

'Bless your heart, no. Wait till tomorrow. It won't be long.
Remember, you've been playing Lays of Ancient Rome.'

And as soon as they had scrambled through their gap where Oak, Ash and
Thorn grew, that was all they remembered.

A Song to Mithras

Mithras, God of the Morning, our trumpets waken the Wall!
'Rome is above the Nations, but Thou art over all!'
Now as the names are answered, and the guards are marched away,
Mithras, also a soldier, give us strength for the day!

Mithras, God of the Noontide, the heather swims in the heat,
Our helmets scorch our foreheads, our sandals burn our feet.
Now in the ungirt hour, now ere we blink and drowse,
Mithras, also a soldier, keep us true to our vows!

Mithras, God of the Sunset, low on the Western main,
Thou descending immortal, immortal to rise again!
Now when the watch is ended, now when the wine is drawn,
Mithras, also a soldier, keep us pure till the dawn!

Mithras, God of the Midnight, here where the great bull dies,
Look on Thy children in darkness. Oh, take our sacrifice!
Many roads Thou hast fashioned: all of them lead to the Light!
Mithras, also a soldier, teach us to die aright!

THE WINGED HATS

The next day happened to be what they called a Wild Afternoon. Father
and Mother went out to pay calls; Miss Blake went for a ride on her
bicycle, and they were left all alone till eight o'clock.

When they had seen their dear parents a