mewhere, and that they
would wait till we came out, they proceeded to bivouac in the courtyard
of the temple.

"We passed four terrible days, but on the morning of the fifth a scout
came in to tell the rebels that a column of British troops marching on
Delhi would pass close by the temple. They therefore hastily mounted and
galloped off.

"Three quarters of an hour later we were safe among our own people. A
fortnight afterwards your aunt and I were married. It was no time for
ceremony then; there were no means of sending her away; no place where
she could have waited until the time for her mourning for her father was
over. So we were married quietly by one of the chaplains of the troops,
and, as your story-books say, have lived very happily ever after."

"And how about Mr. Simmonds, uncle? Did he get safe off too?"

"Yes, his dream came as vividly to his mind as mine had done. He crawled
to the place where he knew the trap-door would be, and got into the
cellar. Fortunately for him there were plenty of eatables there, and he
lived there in concealment for a fortnight. After that he crawled out,
and found the mutineers had marched for Delhi. He went through a lot,
but at last joined us before that city. We often talked over our dreams
together, and there was no question that we owed our lives to them. Even
then we did not talk much to other people about them, for there would
have been a lot of talk, and inquiry, and questions, and you know
fellows hate that sort of thing. So we held our tongues. Poor Charley's
silence was sealed a year later at Lucknow, for on the advance with Lord
Clyde he was killed.

"And now, boys and girls, you must run off to bed. Five minutes more
and it will be Christmas-day. So you see, Frank, that although I don't
believe in ghosts, I have yet met with a circumstance which I cannot
account for."

"It is very curious anyhow, uncle, and beats ghost stories into fits."

"I like it better, certainly," one of the girls said, "for we can go to
bed without being afraid of dreaming about it."

"Well, you must not talk any more now. Off to bed, off to bed," Colonel
Harley said, "or I shall get into terrible disgrace with your fathers
and mothers, who have been looking very gravely at me for the last three
quarters of an hour."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

WHITE-FACED DICK,

A STORY OF PINE-TREE GULCH.

How Pine-tree Gulch got its name no one knew, for in the early days
ever