hoist food or other things up during a siege."

"Ah, it may have been, sir," said Ben, grimly; "but I don't quite see
why they should have chosen to make it just over the bit of a patch of
ground between the walls and the moat where you couldn't get the forage
to without a boat, and when there were a gate-way and bridge. 'Sides,
too, why should they pick the old burying-place of the castle?"

"But that was not the old burying-place, surely, Ben?"

"You ask Dick Grey, gardener, what he found when her ladyship wanted the
ivy planted there to cover that bit o' wall. It was full of 'em."

Roy shuddered.

"That's so, sir. I expect in the old fighting days they used to bury
'em there; and as it's just under that there gallows, why, of course, it
was used for traitors or spies as well. That reminds me, sir, as a lot
of that ivy ought to be cut away. We don't want any one to make a
ladder of it for getting into the place."

"Leave it for the present. It could be torn down in an hour if there
was any need."

"Ay, sir, that's the way you take it over such things. That there
garden ought to be turned into a drilling-ground; you know it ought."

"If there does come any need for it, the garden can go," said Roy, "but
not until the very last."

"That's right, sir. Only, if we're besieged, it will have to go. Now,
let me see--that makes nine buff coats, and one more's ten, for Farmer
Raynes's lot. Ought to give the farmer something a bit smarter,
oughtn't I, as he'll expect to be a sergeant, won't he?"

"He'll like to be over his men."

"But, you see, he's a big one, and there's a buff coat would suit him
exact. I'll tell you what, sir, if he has the same as the others, and a
scarf, and a feather in his cap, he'll be satisfied."

"I should say so, Ben."

"Then scarf and feather it shall be, sir. I'll have all their arms and
things ready for to-night; then they can have 'em in the morning when
they come, and it'll put all them straw-whopping fellows in a good
temper, and make 'em easy to drill. I want to pick out so many fellows
for the big guns that we must have some more in soon. But it's better
to go gently. Saves a lot of confusion."

"What's the next thing to do, Ben?"

"Everything, sir. Powder-bags to fill. Stores to get in. We must have
a new flag. Place cleared out for garrison quarters. Something done to
the two old guard-rooms on each side of the gate. We've months of work
to do, sir, tr