oment, my lad. You are
suddenly called upon to act like a man."

"Yes, father! What do you want me to do?"

"Keep silence, my lad. Not a word about this must reach your mother's
ears."

"Come, Frank, my lad," said Captain Murray gently. "You are better away
from here."

The words seemed to come from a distance, but the lad started and
followed the captain outside, where the young officers gathered about
him, eager to shake hands and tell him that they were all so glad; but
he hardly heard them, and it was in a strangely confused way that he
parted from Captain Murray, who said that he could go no farther, as he
wanted to hurry back to Sir Robert.

Then the two lads were alone.

"What does it all mean, Drew?" cried Frank passionately. "Oh, I must go
back. It's cowardly to come away from my father now."

"You can't go to him. He'll be under arrest."

"Arrest!" cried Frank.

"Yes, for certain. But don't look like that, lad. It's glorious--it's
grand."

"But arrest? He said it was an insult. They can't punish him for
that."

"Punishment? Pooh! What does that matter? Every gentleman in the army
will shout for him, and the men throw up their caps. Oh, it's grand--
it's grand! And they'll meet, of course; and Sir Robert must--he
shall--he will too. He'll run the miserable German through."

"What? Fight! My father fight--with him?"

"Yes, as sure as we should have done after such a row at school."

"But--with swords?"

"Officers don't fight with fists."

"Oh!" cried Frank wildly; "then that's what he meant when he said that
my mother must not know."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

FRANK'S DREADFUL DAWN.

Frank Gowan lay awake for hours that night with his brain in a wild
state of excitement. The scene at the dinner, the angry face of his
father as he stood defying the baron's friends after striking the German
down, the colonel's stern interference, and his orders for Sir Robert to
go to his quarters--all troubled him in turn; then there was the idea of
his father being under arrest, and the possibility of his receiving some
punishment, all repeating themselves in a way which drove back every
prospect of sleep, weary as the lad was; while worst of all, there was
Andrew Forbes's remark about an encounter to come, and the possible
results.

It was too horrible. Suppose Sir Robert should be killed by the
fierce-looking baron! Frank turned cold, and the perspiration came in
drops upon his t