y and teach you, old fellow," continued
Dickenson; "but if I were you I should ignore everything, unless the
boys do as they should do--meet you like men."

"Well," said Lennox, "we shall see."

That dinner-time came all too soon for Lennox, who had sat in his shabby
quarters thinking how wondrously quiet everything was, and whether after
what the colonel had hinted it was the calm preceding the storm.

"Come along," cried Dickenson, thrusting his head into the hut.

Lennox felt his heart sink as he thought of the coming meeting, for this
was the first time he had approached the mess-room since the night of
the attack upon the kopje. He winced, too, a little as he passed two
sentries, who seemed, he thought, to look curiously at him. But the
next moment his companion's rather boisterous prattle fell upon deaf
ears, for just in front, on their way to the mess-room, were Roby and
the doctor walking arm in arm, and then they disappeared through the
door.

"Oh, won't I punish the provisions when the war is over!" said
Dickenson. _Sniff, sniff_! "Ah! I know you, my friend, in spite of
the roasting. I'd a deal rather be outside you than you inside me. And
yet it's all prejudice, Drew, old man, for the horse is the cleanest and
most particular of vegetable-feeding beasts, and the pig is the
nastiest--cannibalistic and vile."

They passed through the door together, to find the colonel present, and
the other officers about to take their places. Roby had evidently not
been prepared for this, and he looked half-stunned when the doctor
turned from him, advanced to Lennox, and shook hands.

"I wish we had a better dinner in honour of my two convalescents."

"This is insufferable," said Roby in a voice choking with anger.

"Let that wait, doctor," said the colonel.

"Come along, Lennox," cried Dickenson, after darting a furious glance at
Roby. "Very, very glad to see you once more in your place."

No one else spoke for a few moments, and the dinner was about to be
commenced, when Roby suddenly rose to his feet.

"Colonel Lindley," he said, in a husky voice full of rage, "are you
aware who is present here this evening?"

"Yes, Captain Roby," said the colonel sternly. "I desired Mr Lennox,
now that he is convalescent, to return to his usual place at the
mess-table."

Roby's jaw dropped, and he stared at the officers around as if silently
asking them whether he heard aright. But every man averted his eyes and