mind coming with
you and carrying the basket."

Fred looked hard at Samson, whose face was perfectly stolid for a few
moments; but a little ripple gradually spread over his left cheek, and
increased till it was a broad grin.

"Well, sir, you see it is so tempting. I'd give anything for a bowl of
new warm milk. When are we going to have a good forage again, so as we
might catch some chickens and ducks or a young pig?"

"I'm afraid there'll be other work on hand to-day, Samson," replied
Fred, sadly, as he glanced in the direction of the Hall. "There, take
away that bucket."

"Yes, sir. Done you good, hasn't it? and you can dry your head. Puzzle
some of them long-haired chaps to get theirs dry."

Samson went off with his young master's simple toilet arrangements, and
Fred joined his brother-officers in their frugal meal, after which he
spent the morning in a state of indecision.

"I will do it," he said, when afternoon had come; and, giving his
sword-belt a hitch, and thrusting his morion a little on one side, he
began striding forward, planting his boots down heavily on the soft
heather, in which his great spurs kept catching till he at last nearly
fell headlong.

Recovering himself, he went on, hand upon hip, and beating his gloves
upon his thigh, till he came to where Colonel Forrester was slowly
pacing up and down, with his hands clasped behind his back.

As Fred drew nearer, an orderly came up to the colonel, and presented a
letter, which brought the lad to a standstill. He had been having a
long struggle with self, and had mastered his shrinking, but he was so
near the balance of vacillation still, that he felt glad of the excuse
to hang back, and walked aside, feeling like one who has been reprieved.

"How do I know what he will say?" thought Fred, glancing back at his
father's stern, wrinkled countenance as he read his despatch. "It isn't
like the old days, though I used sometimes to feel shrinking enough
then. It is not between father and son, but between colonel and one of
his followers."

Fred felt as if he would like to walk right off; but there were those at
the Hall occupying his thoughts, and he made an effort over his moral
cowardice and stopped short, meaning to go to his father as soon as the
messenger had left.

He had not long to wait, for the orderly saluted and rode off, but there
was something else now to check him. His father looked so very severe,
and as if there was somethi