to be challenged at once, and forced to give the word.

A faint light shone out from the open door upon the military figure on
duty, and Roy recognised in him one of the men from the mill, completely
transformed from the heavy plodding fellow who had come in to take
service.

But the challenge had brought out the old sergeant, also in a cloak,
although it was a hot night, and within it he swung a lighted lantern.

The drawbridge was up and the portcullis down, making the entrance look
black and strange, and shutting off the outer gate, from which the day
guard was withdrawn, though this had not been accomplished without
trouble and persuasion, for old Jenkin had protested.

"Like giving up the whole castle to the enemy, Master Roy," he said,
with a full sense of the importance of his little square tower, and
quite ignoring the fact that in the event of trouble he would be
entirely cut off from his fellows if the drawbridge was raised.

But the old man gave in.

"Sodger's dooty is to 'bey orders," he said; and with the full
understanding that he was to go back to his gate in the morning, he came
into the guard-room to sleep on a bench every night.

"How is old Jenk?" said Roy.

"Fast asleep in his reg'lar place," replied Ben, and he led the way back
into the gloomy stone guard-room, where he held up the lantern over the
venerable old fellow's face, and Roy looked at him thoughtfully.

"Seems hard to understand it, Master Roy, don't it?" said Ben; "but if
we lives, you and me'll grow to be as old as that. I expect to find
some morning as he's gone off too fast ever to wake up again."

"Poor old fellow!" said Roy, laying his gloved band gently on the grey
head. "How fond he always was of getting me to his room when I could
only just toddle, and taking me to the moat to throw bread to the carp."

"Fished you out one day, didn't he, Master Roy!"

"To be sure, yes; I had almost forgotten that. I had escaped from the
nurse and tumbled in."

"Ah! he's been a fine old fellow," said Ben. "I used to think he was a
great worry sticking out for doing this and doing that, when he wasn't a
bit of good and only in the way; but somehow, Master Roy, I began to
feel that some day I might be just as old and stupid and no more use,
and that made me fancy something else."

"What was that, Ben?" said Roy, for the old soldier had paused.

"Well, sir, I began to think that I was growing into a vain old fool
after all, or el