. Just a clean sword-cut.
You've cut your finger many a time, haven't you?"

"Of course."

"Well, did you want a doctor? No; you had it tied up tightly, and left
it alone. Then it grew together again!"

"Yes, yes, yes," cried Roy, impatiently. "But this was a terrible slash
on the poor fellow's thigh. You saw how horribly it bled."

"Come, Master Roy, we're both soldiers, and we mustn't talk like this.
I saw his leg bleed, and stopped it, but it wasn't horrible. Leg's only
like a big finger, and a strong healthy chap soon grows together again.
You mustn't take any notice of a few cuts. They're nothing. What we've
got to mind is the cannon-balls. Now a wound from one of them is
terrible, because you see they don't cut clean, but break bones and do
all kinds of mischief. Well, we mustn't talk away here, but see to the
men, and get ready for what's to come."

"Do you think they'll attack us to-day?"

"Yes, sir; and as soon as they've finished their two-gun battery. Now,
by rights, we ought to go and destroy that work, and spike their guns;
but they've got the advantage of us with all that horse, and if we tried
they'd cut us up before we could get at it. Only chance is to try and
do it at night, if we can't dismount the guns with ours."

A hasty breakfast was eaten, and then the sergeant went up to the newly
mounted guns on the top of the square tower, where Roy promised to join
him as soon as he had been to visit the wounded man.

"Tell him I mean to come as soon as I can, my lad," said Ben, "but it
won't do him any good for me to come now. Wounded man's best left alone
till he gets over his touch of fever. But tell him I'm sorry he's down,
and that I shall very much miss my best gunner. It'll please him, and
it's quite true."

Roy nodded, and in due time went to the hospital-room, where he tapped
lightly, and the door was opened by the old housekeeper, who looked
rather pale; but Lady Royland, who was seated by the wounded man's
bedside, rose and came to her son.

"Yes," she said; "go and speak to him; but don't stay many minutes, for
he must not talk much. A few words from you, though, will do him good."

Roy glanced towards the bed, which was close to one of the windows
looking out on the court-yard garden, and he could see that the man was
watching him intently.

"Go to him. I'll leave you and come back when I think you have been
here long enough."

The door closed behind Lady Royland