never would. Will you fetch him out for me?'

And turning to a good-natured-looking young fellow, Teddy put his hand
coaxingly on his arm. The soldier looked into the boy's fair face with a
laugh and then a sigh, and rising to his feet said, 'All right, little
chap, I'll fetch him out to you.'

He was gone some time, and Teddy improved his opportunity by making
friends with those around him; it was not long before he had acquainted
them with the fact of his being a soldier's son, and from that he drifted
into telling the story of 'Father's button!' There was vociferous
applause when he had finished.

'Here, youngster,' said one of the older men, holding out his pewter pot
to him, 'take a drink like a man; you deserve it!'

'No, thank you,' the boy said; 'I never drink beer.'

Then, as an oldish-looking soldier, with a heavy moustache already tinged
with grey, came up to him, Teddy turned to him in delight.

[Illustration: 'ARE YOU BOUNCER?']

'Are you Bouncer?'

'That's what I'm called.' The man's face was an unhappy one, and he
seemed to be the butt of his comrades, for they poured forth such a
volley of good-natured ridicule on his appearance that Teddy looked from
one to the other in complete mystification.