might make a good stand-up fight of it then, whereas I don't see that with
only 6,000 or 7,000 we can do much good against Junot's 40,000."

"Oh, I dare say we shall get on somehow!" Dick said, carelessly. "Sir
Arthur knows what he is about, and it is our turn to do something now. The
navy has had it all its own way so far, and it is quite fair that we
should do our share. I have a brother in the navy, and the fellows are
getting too cheeky altogether. They seem to think that no one can fight
but themselves. Except in Egypt we have never had a chance at all of
showing we can lick the French just as easily on land as we can at sea."

"I hope we shall, Dick. They have certainly had a great deal more practice
at it than we have."

"Now I think we ought to do something here that they will remember us for
before we start, Terence."

"Well, if you do, I am not with you this time, Dick. I am not going to
begin by getting in the colonel's bad books after he has been kind enough
to nominate me for a commission. I promised him that I would try and not
get into any scrapes, and I am not going to break my word. When we once
get out there I shall be game to join in anything that is not likely to
make a great row, but I have done with it for the present."

"I should like to have one more good bit of fun," Ryan said; "but I expect
you are right, Terence, in what you say about yourself, and it is no use
our thinking to humbug Athlone again if you are not in it with us;
besides, they are getting too sharp. They did not half turn out last time,
and, indeed, we had a narrow escape of being caught. Well, I shall be very
glad when we are off; it is stupid work waiting for the route, with all