such an immense number of brave deeds were performed during the
Mutiny that George's must be considered an extraordinary act of
bravery to have obtained for him that honour."

By this time they had entered the farmhouse parlour. George had not
followed them in, but on inquiring where he was likely to find Bob,
had gone off to join him.

"I was proud to hear it at the time, Squire; and when it was in the
papers that our George had got the Victoria Cross, and all our
neighbours came in to congratulate us, we felt prouder still. Up to
the time when we got your letter, we did not know for sure where he
was. He had said he meant to enlist, and from the humour that he
was in when he went away we guessed it to be in some regiment where
he could get to the wars. We felt the more glad, as you may guess,
from the fact that both the Missus and I had wronged him in our
thoughts. We learnt that before we got the news, and it was not
until we knew that we had been wrong that either of us opened our
lips about it, though each of us knew what the other thought."

"I know what you mean, Lechmere. He told me all about it."

"Well, Squire, you may be sure, when we knew that we had wronged
him, how the wife and I fretted that we did not know where to write
to, nor how to set about finding out where he was, and so you can
guess how pleased we were when we heard from you that he was with
your regiment, and that he had saved your life at the risk of his
own.

"We did not know then, Squire, that if he had had twenty lives he