e glad for him to do so, it always
being understood that he does not mention my name in any way."

Half-an-hour later Dillon entered, to say that his cousin agreed heartily
to take a part in the adventure, and that he would shortly come up to
arrange the details with Rupert. Rupert had met Gerald Dillon before,
and knew him to be as wild, adventurous, and harum-scarum a young officer
as his cousin Pat; and in half-an-hour's talk the whole matter was settled.

Gerald would take two petards, which weighed some twenty pounds
each, to his tent, one by one. Hugh should fetch them in a basket,
one by one, to the river bank, at the spot where a balk of wood had
been washed ashore by some recent floods. At seven in the evening
Gerald should call upon his cousin, and on leaving, accompany
Rupert to the river bank, where Hugh would be already in waiting.
When they had left, Pat Dillon should start on horseback with the
three uniforms in his valise, the party hiding the clothes in which
they left the camp, under the bank at their place of starting.

The plan was carried out as arranged, and soon after seven o'clock
Rupert Holliday and Gerald Dillon, leaving the camp, strolled down
to the river, on whose bank Hugh was already sitting. The day had
been extremely hot, and numbers of soldiers were bathing in the
river. It was known that the assault was to take place that night,
but as the cavalry would take no part in it, the soldiers, with
their accustomed carelessness, paid little heed to the matter. As
it grew dusk, the bathers one by one dressed and left, until only
the three watchers remained. Then Rupert called Hugh, who had been
sitting at a short distance, to his side; they then stripped, and
carefully concealed their clothes. The petards were taken out from
beneath a heap of stones, where Hugh had hid them, and were fixed
on the piece of timber, one end of which was just afloat in the
stream. By their side was placed some lengths of fuse, a brace of
pistols, a long gimlet, some hooks, and cord. Then just as it was
fairly dark the log was silently pushed into the water, and
swimming beside it, with one hand upon it, the little party started
upon their adventurous expedition.

The log was not very large, although of considerable length, and
with the petards upon it, it showed but little above water. The
point where they had embarked was fully two miles above the town,
and it was more than an hour before the stream took them