e hearts were very full of a possible separation, and
for some days after it lay like a heavy nightmare on them. Then a letter
arrived from Rob which turned the current of their thoughts. It was his
first letter from India, and the boys looked at the foreign stamps and
paper, as if it were the greatest rarity on earth.

"MY DEAR MASTER ROY:

"I write to tell you we are safely here
and I am quite well as I hope you are. It is
very hot, but we don't do much work in the
middle of the day and I like the place. I wish
you could see the flowers and the black men
and the funny houses and the colored dresses
of the people. I am getting on, I hope, and
my sergeant told me the other day I might
get the stripe soon if I liked. I will keep a
lookout as you told me for Master Dudley's
father, but they say India is a bigger place
than England, which I don't believe, for we're
the grandest nation in the world, and the biggest
and the best, all of us in the barrack-room
agree to that. I saw a scorpion to-day
which pinches when it catches you and draws
the blood awful. There is a mountain battery
with us now, and they use mules instead of
horses, the hills are higher than those at home
and it's hard work going up. There is not
any fighting yet, but I am ready for it when
it comes, and will do my duty to the Queen
and you. My chum has helped me write this
letter and I hope it pleases you. I am trying
to endure hardness. Good-bye, Master Roy,

"Your faithful ROB.

"God bless you."

"That's a much nicer letter, isn't it?" said Roy, in great delight;
"that is quite as long as the one I sent him. I hope he will get some
fighting soon."

"Supposing if he does, and gets killed?" suggested Dudley.

But Roy put this thought away from him.

"I've known such lots of soldiers in books that come home, that I think
he will. Besides God will take care of him. Do you remember the picture
gallery at the general's the other day, Dudley?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"I was thinking about that soldier there with all his medals who broke
his mother's heart; and then about the soldier boy the general said was
the bravest. I suppose I would rather Rob was properly brave like that,
than do great things in battle; but I should think he might do both,
don't you think so?"

And Dudley nodded, adding, "Rob won't drink or gamble, I'm quite sure."

XVI

D