rnmost reef of the Off Islands. "Every now
and then a sea'll hide half the column."

"For my part," said the Commandant, "I've been out of all calculation
with the weather for a week past. It's uncanny for the time of year."

"There's the devil of a rumpus going on somewhere, to account for the
sea that's running," said Mr. Rogers, and checked himself in the act of
handing the telescope across the breastwork, as he caught sight of
Sergeant Treacher's waistcoat, which the Commandant was nervously
shifting from his right arm to his left.

"Hullo!" said Mr. Rogers, again.

"It's--it's a sort of waistcoat," explained the Commandant.

"It may be," said Mr. Rogers. "But unless I'm a Dutchman, it used to be
The Gabriel's antimacassar"--and with that Mr. Rogers winked, for he
had (as the other knew to his cost) an artless, primitive sense of
pleasantry. "A _gage d'amour_, I'll bet any man a sovereign. Come now!"

"I assure you----"

"And you two pretending before everyone that you're at daggers drawn!
Trust an old one for slyness!"

(Once again this afternoon the Commandant winced.)

"Oh, but this is too rich!" Mr. Rogers continued, and the Commandant
felt that only the intervening breastwork protected him from a nudge
under the ribs. "I must take a rise out of the old lady to-night, when
we meet at old Fossell's."

"I--I beg you will do nothing of the sort." The Commandant's voice
shook with apprehension.

Mr. Rogers, mistaking the tremor in the appeal, recoiled suddenly from
the extremely gay to the extremely grave. "My good fellow! Of course,
if it's serious!----"

"'Serious!'" The Commandant stared at him for a moment. "Oh, damn the
woman!" he broke out in sudden wrath, and went his way with long
strides, while the Inspecting Commander looked after him with a broad
grin.

The next battery, the Keg of Butter--so called from a barrel-shaped
rock which it overlooked--was built of sods, and had mounted a single
eighteen-pounder, on a traversing platform. Here, on the north-west
side of the hill, the fortifications broke off, or were continued only
by a low wall along the edge of the cliff; and here the path, or _via
militaris_, turned off at a sharp angle and led back towards the
Castle, under the walls of which the Commandant passed, as a rule, to
complete his inspection by visiting the three batteries on the northern
cliffs. But to-day he broke his custom, and returned to the Garrison
Garden.

As he opened