through the long and cruel ascent of the mountain -not on any track, but straight up the steepest and ruggedest face-he continued to struggle for dear life until the sun had fairly lifted the mists from the valleys the next morning-struggled bravely, and held his own with the active mountain girls who thus from pure charity had, at the risk of their own, saved his life.

But when there was danger of daylight exposing the little party, and they had lain down in some rugged holes covered with scrub, exhausted nature reasserted herself, and he fell into a long, unconscious trance that seemed to the peasant girls to be death itself.

We cannot follow him in his wanderings for some days in those wild mountains; he never remembered exactly himself what he did in those wearying long hours, but it ended in his being taken in a high state of fever by his saviours to a secluded monastery, and there he lay senseless and raving for weeks after Capua had fallen and the country once more become peaceable. One glorious morning, worn to a shadow and weak as an infant, he awoke perfectly sensible; and you can imagine his delight at finding himself folded in the arms of his loving mother, while his father and sisters looked on him with looks of perfect forgiveness and unimpaired love.

his parents of their son having been sentenced to death, and of his wonderful disappearance during the night; and on their arrival at Caserta they. offered such large rewards for news of him, that the mountaineers felt it worth their while to trace him

out.

The two noble peasant girls were presented with such wedding dowers as they never had even dreamed of, and not for a moment had they reason to forget the compassion they took on the English bugler. As to his companions in captivity, they were brought before Garibaldi the next morning, and informed that he would not disgrace the brave English regiment by having their comrades shot by foreigners, and that therefore the prisoners' sentences were remitted to two years' imprisonment each. The British Legion had had this announced to them the previous day when they themselves had refused to shoot their countrymen; but the ignorant Calabrians who had been placed to guard them knew no better than that they were to have the pleasure of shooting their captives in the morning.

And now you have heard all about 'The Bugler's Fate'; and Captain Fred sincerely hopes that none of you will allow yourselves ever to get into such a terrible, if well-deserved, scrape as did his friend Edmund Halton.

NOBODY'S CHILD,

CHAPTER I.

SUNSET.

THERE! there he goes! bang at him!'

Paul Clinton stooped to pick up a stone to fling at a jackdaw that was dodging amongst the chimney-pots of Churton College, while his companion (in mischief as well as in study), John Hodson, threw with all his force the stone that was ready in his hand, missed the bird by a long way, but sent the missile crashing through the glass of a dormerwindow, behind which sat writing Mr. Æneas Baxter, the third master.

In jerking the stone, John Hodson ran forward to give it more force, and so had disappeared under the shade of the house walls (whence he made off to a place of safety as he heard the smash) by the time Mr. Baxter, in a blue rage, had put out his head and discovered Paul standing and looking upwards in a state of horror at the accident, with a stone in

his hand, just ready for another shot at Master Jackdaw!

Mr. Baxter, a careworn, over-studied looking man, was nervous and passionate. He was a gentleman by birth and education;, but he never forgot the misfortunes that had forced him to grind at 'a very superior school for young gentlemen of family' for a livelihood, and was, in consequence, very irritable, as well as over-anxious about his dignity.

He came flying downstairs out on the playground, and, having taken Paul Clinton flagrante delicto (as he thought), marched him off a prisoner to the Principal, with a red-hot account of the whole affair.

Mr. Henry Langford, the Principal at Churton, was, perhaps, as suitable a man as could possibly be found to fill that position. A polished scholar, a clever student of boys' characters and specialties, and a perfect gentleman, he made gentlemen also. of the rather well-to-do lads entrusted to his care, and it was very rare that any pupil left the establishment without taking with him fixed ideas of duty, solid principles of honour, with a well-practised habit of obedience to lawful authority-all of which qualities are indispensable to a successful and contented life. Offences against any of those three qualities he never overlooked, and day did not follow night as surely as did punishment follow

any breach of the rules laid down for aiding in their acquisition by the young gentlemen under his

care.

'Well, Clinton; what have you to say to this? asked Mr. Langford, as the third master finished his accusation.

'Nothing, sir,' said Paul, who was rather pale, for he knew well the penalty that was laid down for anyone throwing stones in the playground, especially when it was combined, as in this case, with broken windows and danger.

'You allow you threw stones at the bird, that resulted in breaking windows, and might have seriously injured Mr. Baxter?'

'Yes, sir-I threw stones; but I did not-know -I broke the window.'

'Was there any other boy there, Mr. Baxter ?' 'No, sir; no one,' was the prompt and correct (as far as it went) response.

'Now, Clinton, I shall not ask you any more questions,' went on the Principal, rather sternly, for, of course, from Paul's hesitating manner he half suspected that fear was making him prevaricate a little. I don't wish to lead you into temptation; you acknowledge you threw stones, one of which might have killed or blinded Mr. Baxter. You know the punishment?'

'I do, sir. I certainly threw stones, but I did