ars to
live with us, at Gibraltar, and learn Spanish."

Bob threw his cap up to the ceiling, with a shout of delight;
executed a wild dance, rushed at his sister and kissed her
violently, and shook hands with her husband.

"That is glorious!" he said, when he had sufficiently recovered
himself for speech. "I said uncle was a brick, didn't I? But I
never dreamt of such a thing as this."

"He is going to pay, very handsomely, while you are with us, Bob,
so it will be really a great help to us. Besides, we will like to
have you with us. But you will have to work hard at Spanish, you
know."

"Oh, I will work hard," Bob said, confidently.

"And be very steady," Captain O'Halloran said, gravely.

"Of course," Bob replied. "But who are you going to hire to teach
me that?"

"You are an impudent boy, Bob," his sister said, while Captain
O'Halloran burst out laughing.

"Sure, he has us both there, Carrie. I wonder your uncle did not
make a proviso that we were to get one of the padres to look after
him."

"As if I would let a Spanish priest look after me!" Bob said.

"I didn't mean a Spanish priest, Bob. I meant one of the army
chaplains. We always call them padres.

"That would be worth thinking about, Carrie."

"Oh, I say," Bob exclaimed in alarm, "that would spoil it,
altogether!"

"Well, we will see how you go on, Bob. We may not find it
necessary, you know; but you will find you have to mind your P's
and Q's, at Gib. It is a garrison place, you know, and they won't
stand nonsense there. If you played any tricks, they would turn you
outside the lines, or send you up to one of the caverns to live
with the apes."

"Are there apes?" Bob asked, eagerly. "They would be awful fun, I
should think. I have seen them at Exeter 'Change."

"There are apes, Bob; but if you think you are going to get near
enough to put salt on their tails, you are mistaken."

"But am I going out with you?" Bob asked. "Why, tomorrow is
Christmas Day, and you sail two days after, don't you? And I
shouldn't have time even to go up to town, and down to Putney, to
say goodbye to the fellows. I should like to do that, and tell them
that I am going abroad."

"You are not going with us, Bob, and you will have time for all
that. We could not take you in the transport, and uncle will
arrange for a passage for you, in some ship going out. Of course,
he knows all about vessels trading with Spain."

"Well, we sha'n't have to say goodbye, now,