ters, to try and give a few touches to his personal
appearance, for, after months in the field, he did not feel at all proud
of his sombre and shabby uniform.

This done, he made off just as the little force of well-mounted, sturdy
men under the general's command were filing slowly out, and making for
the broad open park, where a long and arduous drill was to be carried
out.

It was a glorious day, and the prospect of being at home for even so
short a time, and seeing his mother and those who had been his best
friends was delightful. There was no sign of warfare anywhere, such as
he had seen in other parts, in the shape of devastated crops and burned
outhouses. But as he rose one of the hills that he had to cross, a
glint of steel, where the sun shone on a morion, showed where one of the
outposts was on the look-out. Further on, away to the left, he caught
sight of another, and knowing pretty well where to look, he had no
difficulty, sooner or later, in making out where the different vedettes
were placed.

"Puzzle an enemy to catch our weasel asleep," he said to himself,
laughingly, as he trotted on. "Why, if all our leaders were like
General Hedley and my father, the war would soon be at an end--and a
good thing too."

He rode on, thinking of the reception he would get, and hoping that Lady
Markham would not behave coldly to him; and then the watchfulness of the
pupil in military matters came out.

It was not his business to see where the outposts were, but it seemed to
come natural to him to note their positions.

"I might have to place men myself, some day," he said; "and it's as well
to know."

"Yes; there he is," he muttered, as he caught sight of another and then
of another far away, but forming links of a chain of men round the camp,
well within touch of each other, and all ready to gallop at the first
alarm.

"There ought to be one out here," said Fred, at last, just as he was
nearing the Manor; and for the moment he was ready to pass him over, and
think of nothing but those whom he had come to see, but discipline
mastered.

The spot he was approaching was a little eminence, which commanded a
deep valley or coombe, that went winding and zigzagging for miles, and
here he looked in vain for the outpost.

"Strange!" thought Fred; and he rode on a little further, till he was
nearly to the top of the eminence, when his heart leaped, and by
instinct he clapped his hand to his sword. For there, with