ence had come and passed without the
sergeant's having shown himself, and the idea of such a possibility
brought a strange sensation of loneliness to my heart.

Then Jacob suggested that the old man might have been detained against his
will at headquarters, and I proposed that the lad go at once to learn if
such was the case.

He did not absolutely refuse to obey what might have been considered as an
order from the captain, but tried to shift the duty by saying:

"It would be of more avail for you to go, Noel, if so be the old man
really has it in mind to enlist under General Arnold. You have ever been a
favorite of his, whereas I am little more than an outsider, who has caused
you an' he much trouble an' sufferin'."

The lad did not really believe his own statements, but made them simply to
shift the duty to my shoulders, for it was a bold and might be considered
an impertinent act for us to presume to advise or urge one of so much and
so varied experience as Sergeant Corney.

I set off without further parley, and to my great surprise found the old
man on the parade-ground talking idly with Peter Sitz.

"Had you forgotten that the company was called together at eight o'clock
this mornin'?" I asked, as if in surprise.

"Not a bit of it, lad."

"Then why didn't you come to the barracks?"

"I knew you lads had somewhat of importance to decide, an' wasn't countin'
on goin' where I might be said to have influenced you."

"But don't you reckon yourself as belongin' any longer to the company?"

"I didn't count on bein' able to pass myself off for a boy, even among
blind men," the old soldier said, with a laugh, and I cried, hotly:

"That isn't answerin' my question, sergeant. Is there any good reason why
you should stand stiffly here while we're tryin' to make up our minds what
to do?"

"Yes, lad, I believe there is."

"What may it be, if you're willin' to tell us?"

"It shouldn't be hard to guess. All my life long I've followed soldierin'
as another man follows a trade, an' I'm not the one who ought to speak
when lads are makin' up their minds as to the future, lest I say that
which pleases me, an' may not be the best thing for them."

"Answer me one question squarely, Sergeant Corney, without beatin' about
the bush. Do you think we're too young to enlist as soldiers, if it so be
the lads decide that the Minute Boys ought to do all they can for the
Cause?"

"Not a bit of it; it strikes me your company has