a little.

"I beg your pardon, my boy," he said. "The question is withdrawn. You're
perfectly right--and you're setting us an example by taking things
seriously. This war isn't going to be a lark. But you can tell me a few
things. You're scouts, I see. I was myself, once--before I went to
Sandhurst. What troop and patrol?"

Dick told him, and the officer nodded.

"Good work!" he said. "The scouts are going to turn out and help, eh?
That's splendid! There'll be work enough to go all around, never you
fear."

"If, by any chance, you should be going to Ealing Barracks," said the first
officer, rather slyly, "and we should get off the train when you do,
there's no reason why you shouldn't let us drive you out, is there? We're
going there, and I don't mind telling you that we've just finished a two
hour leave to go and say good-bye--to--to--"

His voice broke a little at that. In spite of his light-hearted manner and
his rather chaffing tone, he couldn't help remembering that good-bye. He
was going to face whatever fate might come, but thoughts of those he might
not see again could not be prevented from obtruding themselves.

"Shut up, Cecil," said the other. "We've said good-bye--that's an end of
it! We've got other things to think of now. Here we are!"

The train pulled into Ealing station. Here the evidences of war and the
warlike preparation were everywhere. The platforms were full of soldiers,
laughing, jostling one another, saluting the officers who passed among
them. And Harry, as he and Dick followed the officers toward the gate, saw
one curious thing. A sentry stood by the railway official who was taking up
tickets, and two or three times he stopped and questioned civilian
passengers. Two of these, moreover, he ordered into the ticket office,
where, as he went by, Harry saw an officer, seated at a desk, examining
civilians.

Ealing, as a place where many troops were quartered, was plainly very much
under martial law. And outside the station it was even more military.
Soldiers were all about and automobiles were racing around, too. And there
were many women and children here, to bid farewell to the soldiers who were
going--where? No one knew. That was the mystery of the morning. Everyone
understood that the troops were off; that they had their orders. But not
even the officers themselves knew where, it seemed.

"Here we are--here's a car!" said the officer called Cecil. "Jump aboard,
young 'uns! We know whe