sober as the leafy shadows flickered over them.

"Let's follow and see what they are after," proposed Mac, who found
sitting on the wall and being fed with blackberries luxurious but
tiresome.

So they followed and heard the music grow lively, saw the banners wave
in the breeze again when the graveyard was passed, and watched the
company file into the dilapidated old church that stood at the corner of
three woodland roads. Presently the sound of singing made the outsiders
quicken their steps, and, stealing up, they peeped in at one of the
broken windows.

Captain Dove was up in the old wooden pulpit, gazing solemnly down upon
his company, who, having stacked their arms in the porch, now sat in the
bare pews singing a Sunday-school hymn with great vigour and relish.

"Let us pray," said Captain Dove, with as much reverence as an army
chaplain; and, folding his hands, he repeated a prayer which he thought
all would know an excellent little prayer, but not exactly appropriate
to the morning, for it was,

"Now I lay me down to sleep."

Everyone joined in saying it, and it was a pretty sight to see the
little creatures bowing their curly heads and lisping out the words they
knew so well. Tears came into Rose's eyes as she looked; Mac took his
hat off involuntarily, and then clapped it on again as if ashamed of
showing any feeling.

"Now I shall preach you a short sermon, and my text is, 'Little
children, love one another.' I asked mamma to give me one, and she
thought that would be good; so you all sit still and I'll preach it. You
mustn't whisper, Marion, but hear me. It means that we should be good to
each other, and play fair, and not quarrel as we did this very day about
the wagon. Jack can't always drive, and needn't be mad because I like
to go with Frank. Annette ought to be horse sometimes and not always
driver; and Willie may as well make up his mind to let Marion build her
house by his, for she will do it, and he needn't fuss about it. Jamie
seems to be a good boy, but I shall preach to him if he isn't. No,
Pokey, people don't kiss in church or put their hats on. Now you must
all remember what I tell you, because I am the captain, and you should
mind me."

Here Lieutenant Jack spoke right out in meeting with the rebellious
remark,

"Don't care if you are; you'd better mind yourself, and tell how you
took away my strap, and kept the biggest doughnut, and didn't draw fair
when we had the truck."

"Y