elves, boys, and a
good long talk about old times and the last news I have had from Dour.--
Yes, all right, waiter; serve the dinner at once, and mind everything is
very hot.--There you are: snug little table for three. I'll sit this
side with my back to the light, and you two can sit facing it, so that I
can look at you both."

"Oh, but that isn't fair, father," cried Glyn. "We ought to be with our
backs to the light."

"Not at all, sir," said the Colonel, laughing. "A soldier should never
be ashamed of his scars."

The seats were taken, the dinner began, and had not proceeded far before
Glyn noticed that the waiter was staring very hard at his bruised face,
getting so fierce a look in return that the man nearly dropped the plate
he was handing, and refrained from looking at him again.

"Better bring candles, waiter," said the Colonel.--"One likes to see
what one is eating, boys;" and as a few minutes later the waiter placed
a tall branch with its four wax candles in the centre of the table, the
Colonel nodded to Singh. "There," he said, "now we can all play fair,
and you can see my scars."

"Yes," said Singh, looking at the Colonel fixedly. "There's the big one
quite plain that father used to tell me about."

"Indeed!" said the Colonel sharply. "Why, what did he tell you about
it, and when?"

"Oh, it was when I was quite a little fellow," replied Singh. "He said
it was in a great fight when three of the rajahs had joined against him
to attack him and kill him, and take all his land. He said that there
was a dreadful fight, and there were so many of his enemies that he was
being beaten."

"Oh--ah--yes," said the Colonel. "Your father and I had a great many
fights with his enemies when the Company sent me to help him with a
battery of horse artillery, and to drill his men."

"Was that, father, when you drilled and formed your regiment of
cavalry?"

"Yes, boy, yes. But never mind the fighting now. That was in the old
days. Go on with your dinner."

But Singh did not seem to heed his words, for he was sitting gazing
straight before him at the scar on his host's forehead; and laying down
his knife and fork he continued, in a rapt, dreamy way, "And he said he
thought his last hour had come, for he and the few men who were
retreating with him had placed their backs against a steep piece of
cliff, and they were fighting for their lives, surrounded by hundreds of
the enemy."

"My dear boy, you are