“But he wouldn’t have gone unless I had told him he might.”

And as usual Roy had the last word.

XII

LETTERS

Very disappointed were the boys at Rob’s first letter, which arrived about a fortnight after he had gone to the regimental depot at a neighboring town.

   “Dear master Roy: 

“I hope you and Master Dudley are quite well as it leaves me at present.  I like it first-rate, but it is hard work, and I have a good many masters, but I means to do my best.  God bless you.

   “From your faithful
   “Rob.”

“That’s not a letter at all!” said Roy, scornfully; “why he tells us nothing at all!  Why he might have gone to school and told us more!  That from a soldier.  It’s the stupidest rot I’ve ever heard!”

“I think you forget what a poor scholar Rob is,” said Miss Bertram, reprovingly.  “Now I think that is a remarkably good letter when I think what a short time he has been learning to write.  You boys had better each write a proper letter to him yourselves, and ask him what you want to know.  He will like to hear from you.”

And so that afternoon, sitting up in state at the library table, the boys spread out their writing materials and began to write.

“I feel,” said Roy, biting the end of his pen and looking up at the ceiling for an inspiration, “that I don’t know quite how to begin.  I should like to tell him not to write like an ass, when he knows he ought to tell us everything.”

“All right, tell him so,” said Dudley, squaring his elbow and frowning terribly as he prepared himself for the task.  “You know what old Selby says:  ’Make your paper talk, my boys, and make it talk in your own tongues.’”

After a great many interruptions from each other, and a few skirmishes round the table which resulted in the ink bottle being spilt, the letters were finished.

Roy read his aloud with pride to Dudley, who did the same to him.

   “My dear Rob: 

“You must write us longer letters.  I am quite sure there is lots to tell.  What do you have to eat?  And where do you sleep?  Have you got a gun of your own?  Do they let soldiers shoot rabbits on their half-holidays?  Does the band play while you are at dinner?  What are your clothes like, and what are you to be called, now you’re a soldier?  When will you be a sergeant, and is there any fighting coming off soon?  Old Principle says you will be learning drill.  What is drill?  He says it’s learning how to march, but Dudley and I can do that first-rate.  How many masters have you got?  Write to me to-morrow and tell me all.  I hope you will remember you are our soldier, and be sure you do something very grand as quick as ever you can.  Have you got a sword and a medal?  Do you ride on a horse, and can you fire off the cannon?  I miss you very much but you belong to us, and must come back full of glory.

   “Your loving friend,