us ears and a curious
sinking of the heart. He had looked forward to having Desmond to
himself; and lo! his friend was seven thousand miles away--on the veldt,
not on the Hill.

"You are not keen," said Desmond.

On the day of the Goose Match, Saturday, September 30th, Scaife came
down to Harrow to take leave of his friends. Already, John noted an
extraordinary difference in his manner and appearance. He treated John
to a slightly patronizing smile, called him Jonathan, asked if he could
be of service to him, and posed most successfully as a sort of sucking
Alexander.

That he absorbed Desmond's eyes and mind was indisputable. Everything
outside South Africa, and in particular the Hill and all things thereon,
dwindled into insignificance. Scaife made Desmond a present of the very
best maps obtainable, and nailed them on the wall above the mantelpiece,
pulling down a fine engraving which John had given to Desmond about a
year before. Desmond uttered no protest. The engraving was bundled out
of sight behind a sofa.

And after Scaife's departure, Desmond talked of him continually, and
always with enthusiasm. Warde added a note or two to the chorus.

"This is an opportunity for Scaife," he told John. "He may distinguish
himself very greatly, and the discipline of the camp will transmute the
bad metal into gold. War is an alchemist."

Upon the 11th of October war was declared.

After that, Desmond became as one possessed. He went about saying that
he pitied his father profoundly because he was a civilian and a
non-combatant. Warde wrote to Charles Desmond: "If you mean to send
Harry out, send him at once. He's fretting himself to fiddle-strings,
doing no work, and causing others to do no work also."

Sir William Symons' victory and death followed, and then the mortifying
retreat of General Yule. Upon the 30th day of the month eight hundred
and fifty officers and men were isolated and captured. Who does not
remember the wave of passionate incredulity that swept across the
kingdom when the evil tidings flashed over-seas? But Buller and his
staff were on the _Dunottar Castle_, and all Harrovians believed
devoutly that within a month of landing the Commander-in-Chief would
drive the invaders back and conquer the Transvaal.

Day after day, Desmond importuned his father. The "fun" would be over,
he pointed out, before he got there--and so on. At last word came. A
billet had been obtained. Desmond received a long envelop