the number of ghosts--fifty
quite as likely as one.--What do you you say, Bartram?"

"Quite so," said Bartram.

Bill made no further attempts to understand the mystery. He listened,
but only grew more and more bewildered at the dark hints he heard, and
never understood what it all meant until the end came; when (as is not
uncommon) he wondered how he could have been so stupid, and why he had
not seen it all from the very first.

They had now reached the turning point, and as they passed into the dark
lane, where the wind was shuddering and shivering among the trees, Bill
shuddered and shivered too, and felt very glad that the young gentlemen
were with him, after all.

Mr. Lindsay pulled out his watch.

"Well?" said his friend.

"Ten minutes to nine."

Then they walked on in silence, Master Arthur with one arm through his
friend's, and the one-legged donkey under the other; and Mr. Lindsay
with his hand on Bill's shoulder.

"I _should_ like a pipe," said Master Arthur presently; "it's so
abominably damp."

"What a fellow you are!" said Mr. Lindsay. "Out of the question! With
the wind setting down the lane too! you talk of my cough--which is
better, by the bye."

"What a fellow _you_ are!" retorted the other. "Bartram, you are the
oddest creature I know. Whatever you take up, you do drive at so. Now I
have hardly got a lark afloat before I'm sick of it. I wish you'd tell
me two things,--first, why are you so grave to-night? and secondly, what
made you take up our young friend's cause so warmly?"

"One answer will serve both questions," said Mr. Lindsay. "The truth is,
old fellow, our young friend [and Bill felt certain that the "young
friend" was himself] has a look of a little chap I was chum with at
school--Regy Gordon. I don't talk about it often, for I can't very well;
but he was killed--think of it, man!--_killed_ by such a piece of
bullying as this! When they found him, he was quite stiff and
speechless; he lived a few hours, but he only said two words,--my name,
and amen."

"Amen?" said Master Arthur, inquiringly.

"Well, you see when the surgeon said it was no go, they telegraphed for
his friends; but they were a long way off, and he was sinking rapidly;
and the old Doctor was in the room, half heart-broken, and he saw Gordon
move his hands together, and he said, 'If any boy knows what prayers
Gordon minor has been used to say, let him come and say them by him;'
and I did. So I knelt by his bed a