ch had taken place before him.

"Another false alarm, Roby," the officer said angrily. "Your fellows
started the cock-and-bull nonsense, and it has become catching. The
sentry here declares he saw a couple of figures coming down in the
darkness, and he fired. The idiot! There is nothing, of course, and
the colonel shall make an example of him."

Lennox was standing close up to the offender, and in spite of the
darkness could make out that the man was shivering.

"Come, come," said the young officer in a half-whisper; "don't go on
like that. You fancy you saw something?"

"I'm sure I did, sir," replied the sentry, grateful for a kind word
after the severe bullying he had received for doing what he believed to
be his duty. "I saw two of them, as plain as I can see you now. I was
regularly took aback, sir, for I hadn't heard a sound; but as soon as I
fired I could hear them rush off."

"You feel certain?"

"Yes, sir; and the captain says it was all fancy. If it was, sir, I
know--"

"Know what?" said Lennox, impressed by the man's manner. "Speak out."

"Oh, I know, sir," said the man again, with a shudder.

"Well, speak out; don't be afraid."

"Enough to make any man feel afraid, sir," half whimpered the man. "I
don't mind going into action, sir. I've shown afore now as I'd follow
my officers anywhere."

"Of course you would, my lad," said Lennox, patting the young fellow
encouragingly on the shoulder, for he could see that he was suffering
from a shock, and, doubtless from abstinence and weakness, was
half-hysterical.

"It's bad enough, sir, to be posted in the darkness upon a shelf like
that over there, expecting every moment to get a bullet in you; but when
it comes to anything like this, it makes a fellow feel like a coward."

"Who said coward?" said Dickenson, who had followed his companion and
now came up.

"I did, sir," said the man through his chattering teeth.

"Where is he?" said Dickenson. "I should like to look at him. I
haven't seen one lately."

"Here he is, sir," said the poor fellow, growing more agitated; "it's
me."

"Get out!" cried Dickenson good-humouredly. "You're not a coward.
There isn't such a thing in the regiment."

"Oh yes, there is, sir," whimpered the man. "It's all right, sir. I'm
the chap: look at me."

"Stop a moment," said Lennox quickly; "aren't you one of the men who
have been in the infirmary?"

"Yes, sir. This is the first time I've been on dut