"Why, hallo, my lads! We couldn't make out what you were. The --th, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"What! Have you been in the river?"

"Yes, tried to cross--'most drowned," said Punch hoa.r.s.ely.

"You should have come down to this ford. Where are you for?"

"Our corps, when we can find it," said Pen.

"Oh, that's all right; about two miles away. Come on."

"Not me!" said Punch st.u.r.dily. "I have had enough of it."

"What do you mean?" said the other dragoon who had not spoken. "Afraid to cross?"

"Yes, that's it," said Punch. "So would you be if you had had my dose.

I'm nearly full of water now."

"Well, you look it," said the first dragoon, laughing. "Here, take hold of our stirrup-leathers. We will take you across all right."

Punch hesitated.

"Shall we risk it, comrade?" he said.

"Yes, of course."

And Punch limped painfully to the side of the second dragoon, while Pen took hold of the stirrup-leather of the first.

"Here, I say, this won't do," said the man, as their horses' hoofs sank in the hot, dry sand of the other side. "Why, you are both regularly knocked up.--Dismount!" he cried, and he and his companion dropped from their saddles. "There, my lads, mount. You can ride the rest of the way. Hallo! Limping?" he continued. "What does that mean? Footsore, or a wound?"

"Wound," said Pen quietly. "My comrade, there, has been worse than I.

How far do you say it is to the camp?"

"A couple of miles; but we will see you there safe. How have you been off for rations?"

Pen told him, and an end was put to their famishing state by a surprise of the dragoons' haversacks.

About half an hour later the led horses entered the camp, and the boy's hearts were gladdened by the cheery notes of a cavalry call.

"Ah," whispered Punch, as he leaned over from his seat in the saddle to whisper to Pen, "that seems to do a fellow's heart good, comrade. But 'tain't so good as a bugle. If I could hear that again I should be just myself."

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

BEFORE THE AQUILINE.

Three days in the English camp, and the two lads had pretty well recovered; but they were greatly disappointed to find that during the absence of the dragoons on vedette duty the --th and another regiment had been despatched for a reconnoitring expedition, so that the lads had encountered no old friends.

"Well, I suppose we oughtn't to grumble, comrade," said Punch, "for every one makes no end of a fuss over us, and are always beginning to ask questions and set one telling them about all we did after we were left behind."

"Yes; I am rather tired of it," said Pen. "I shall be only too glad when we are able to join the regiment."

"Oh, I shall be glad enough," said Punch. "I want to see old O'Grady, me boy; and, I say, do you think, if I was to make a sort of pet.i.tion like, the colonel would put me in one of the companies now? Of course I used to be proud enough of being bugler, but I want to be full private."

"Well, you have only got to wait till you get bigger," said Pen, smiling.

"Bother bigger!" cried the boy. "Why, I am growing fast, and last time I was measured I was only an inch shorter than the little chap we have got; and what difference does an inch make when a fellow can carry a rifle and can use it? You can't say that I ain't able, though it was only a musket."

"No, Punch; there isn't a man in the regiment could have done better than you did."

"There, then!" cried the boy, with his eyes sparkling. "Then I'm sure if you would speak up and say all that to the colonel he would let me go into one of the companies. I want to be in yours, but I would wait for my chance if they would only make me a full private at once."

The boys were sitting talking together when an infantry sergeant came up and said, "Here, youngsters, don't go away. Smarten yourselves up a bit. You are to come with me to the officers' tent. I will be back in about ten minutes."

The sergeant went off in his quick, business-like way, and Punch began to grumble.

"Who's to smarten himself up," he cried petulantly, "when his uniform is all nohow and he's got no proper boots? These old uns they've give me don't fit, and they will be all to pieces directly; and yours ain't much better. I suppose they are going to question us again about where we have been and what we have done."

"Yes," said Pen wearily, "and I am rather tired of it. It's like making a show of us."

"Oh, well, it don't hurt. They like to hear, and I dare say the officers will give orders that we are to have something to eat and drink."

"Punch, you think of nothing but eating and drinking," said Pen again.

"Well, after being starved as we have, ain't it enough to make anybody think that a little more wouldn't do them any harm? Hallo, he's soon back!" For he caught sight of the sergeant coming.

"Now, boys," he said, "ready?"

"Yes," said Pen; and the keen-looking non-com looked both of them over in turn.

"That the best you can do for yourselves?" he said sourly. "Well, I suppose it is. You are clean, and you look as if you had been at work.

You, Punchard, can't you let those trousers down a little lower?"

"No, sir; I did try last night. They have run up through being in the river when we were half-drowned."

"Humph! Perhaps," said the sergeant. "I believe it was the growing so much."

Punch turned sharply to his comrade and gave him a wink, as much as to say, "Hear that?"

"Now then, forward!" said the sergeant. "And look here, put on your best manners, boys. You are going before some of the biggest officers, so mind your p's and q's."

A few minutes later the sergeant stopped short at the largest tent in the camp, stated his business to the sentry who was marching to and fro before a flag, and after waiting a few minutes a subaltern came out, spoke to the sergeant, and then told the boys to follow him.

Directly after, the pair were ushered into the presence of half-a-dozen officers in undress uniform, one of whom, a keen-looking, aquiline-nosed man, gave them in turn a sharp, searching look, which Punch afterwards said went right through him and came back again. He then turned to a grey-haired officer and said shortly, "Go on. I will listen."

The grey-haired officer nodded and then turned to the two lads.