rigged himself out in those clothes. Well, we are short of
trumpeters, and I don't suppose the adjutant will inquire very closely."

The trumpet-major was quite willing to do his share of the business. He
was glad to fill up one of the vacancies, especially as it seemed that
the new-comer would soon be able to take his place in the ranks; and
after asking a few questions he went across with him to the adjutant.
The latter looked at Edgar critically.

"Smart young fellow," he said to himself. "Got into some scrape at home,
I suppose, and run away. Of course he has some got-up lie ready. Well,
sergeant, what is it?"

"Lad wishes to enlist as a trumpeter, sir. Here is a letter from his
next friend, Sergeant M'Bride of the 18th Hussars. Lad's father and
mother dead. M'Bride stands in place of guardian."

"A likely story," the adjutant muttered to himself. "What is your name,
lad?"

"I enlist as Edward Smith," Edgar said, "age sixteen."

"Parents dead?"

"I lost them when I was a child, sir."

"Who were they?"

"My father was a sergeant in the 30th Foot, sir."

The adjutant was watching him narrowly.

"Either he is telling the truth," he said to himself, "or he is one of
the calmest young liars I have ever come across."

"And there is no one who has any legal right to control you or to object
to your enlisting?"

"No one, sir."

"You cannot play, I suppose?"

"I have been learning the trumpet for some little time, sir, and can
sound a few of the calls."

"Well, I suppose that will do, sergeant. You had better take him across
to the doctor. If he passes him put him up for the night, and bring him
here to-morrow at twelve o'clock to be sworn in."

"Rather a tough case that," he said to himself as the trumpet-major left
with the young recruit. "There is not a doubt the boy is lying, and yet
I could have declared he was speaking the truth. Of course he may be the
son of a non-commissioned officer, and have been brought up and educated
by someone. He looks a gentleman all over, and speaks like one. Well, it
is no business of mine;" and the adjutant gave the matter no further
thought.

The next day Edgar was sworn in. The colonel, hearing from the adjutant
that he had questioned the boy, and that there was no impediment to his
enlisting, passed him without a remark, and Edgar was at once taken to
the regimental tailor and measured for his uniform, and half an hour
later was marched out with four or five of