and do a brave thing, like saving a
life, he'd forgive you; he'd punish you, I guess, but he'd forgive
you--Mamma-dear and I'd make him, anyway. If _I_ were in your place, in
the very clothes of the Ninth, I'd dare a good sound punishing to be by
Daddy's side. I'd just ask him what he called me a body-guard for."

The tears blinded Jack's eyes, and through their gleam G. W.'s face
seemed to grow rigid with disapproval.

"I know," half sobbed Jack, wiping his tears upon the sleeve of his blue
"make-believe" coat; "Daddy's trained you to think you _must_ obey; but,
oh, I wish that particular old hill wasn't in Cuba!

"I'm going to tell you something, G. W.," Jack went on. "Once, the
summer before Daddy went away, I had a 'sperience with him. I was a year
littler than I am now. He told me not on any account to go down to the
river without him. I wanted to, for Daddy had taught me how to swim and
I wanted to float about and practise. Every day I went near, to look at
the water, and every night Daddy would say, 'Now remember, Jack, for no
reason go to the river without me.' But I went nearer and nearer, until
one day I could see the other boys in, and then--I pulled off my clothes
and in I went, too! I hadn't been in long when Don Grover--he's my best
friend, but a year littler--got out further than any one else, and
suddenly he put his arms right up in the air and screamed that he was
a-drowning. We were all scared, and the other boys swam to the shore to
get help. I couldn't think of anything but Don, and I swam right out to
him, and he didn't grab hold of me or anything, but let me kind of tow
him in; and course it was awful far and we were nearly dead, and I kept
thinking how I had disobeyed Daddy, and seeing Mamma-dear's mournful
eyes. But Don and I didn't talk, only just swam. When we got to the
shore we crawled out and lay down and went to sleep, but when the boys
came back with some men I waked up and told them to take Don home and I
could go alone. G. W., I was terribly fearful to go, for you know how
particular Daddy is about obeying and waiting in your own place of duty.

"I ached, and my knees just fluttered. When I got there Daddy and
Mamma-dear were sitting on the piazza, and the minute I looked at Daddy
I was sure he knew I had disobeyed. 'Where have you been, Jack?' he
said, solemn. I said, 'Swimming.' He got up, and Mamma-dear began to
cry, but Daddy took me in the study and he--he whipped me, G. W., like