ed over the
affections of the village was a considerable abatement of the popular
prejudice against "the military." Indeed, the village was now somewhat
importantly represented in the army. There was the General himself, and
the Postman, and the Black Captain's tablet in the church, and
Jackanapes, and Tony Johnson, and a Trumpeter.

Tony Johnson had no more natural taste for fighting than for riding, but
he was as devoted as ever to Jackanapes. And that was how it came about
that Mr. Johnson bought him a commission in the same cavalry regiment
that the General's grandson (whose commission had been given him by the
Iron Duke) was in; and that he was quite content to be the butt of the
mess where Jackanapes was the hero; and that when Jackanapes wrote home
to Miss Jessamine, Tony wrote with the same purpose to his
mother,--namely, to demand her congratulations that they were on active
service at last, and were ordered to the front. And he added a
postscript, to the effect that she could have no idea how popular
Jackanapes was, nor how splendidly he rode the wonderful red charger
which he had named after his old friend Lollo.

* * * * *

"Sound Retire!"

A Boy Trumpeter, grave with the weight of responsibilities and
accoutrements beyond his years, and stained so that his own mother would
not have known him, with the sweat and dust of battle, did as he was
bid; and then, pushing his trumpet pettishly aside, adjusted his weary
legs for the hundredth time to the horse which was a world too big for
him, and muttering, "'Tain't a pretty tune," tried to see something of
this his first engagement before it came to an end.

Being literally in the thick of it, he could hardly have seen less or
known less of what happened in that particular skirmish if he had been
at home in England. For many good reasons,--including dust and smoke,
and that what attention he dared distract from his commanding officer
was pretty well absorbed by keeping his hard-mouthed troop-horse in
hand, under pain of execration by his neighbors in the melee. By and by,
when the newspapers came out, if he could get a look at one before it
was thumbed to bits, he would learn that the enemy had appeared from
ambush in overwhelming numbers, and that orders had been given to fall
back, which was done slowly and in good order, the men fighting as they
retired.

Born and bred on the Goose Green, the youngest of Mr. Johnson's
gard