This was the point at which the worm turned. One fine morning, long after the ‘dressing’ bugle had sounded, followed by the ‘non-commissioned officers call’ and the ‘fall-in,’ not a man made his appearance upon parade. Colonel Byfield and the officers had the whole square to themselves. The rest of the regiment with the exception of a number of men belonging to one company, F, formed up in the ditch, and while the commanding officer was whistling at vacancy, marched off in excellent order to a distant part of the glacis, where they piled arms and refused to return. It would be tedious, and it indeed forms no part of this history to narrate, except in the briefest terms, the progress of this very serious military _lâche_. The men, as is usual in such cases, went to the wall. The ringleaders were hunted out, tried and severely punished, and the whole regiment was ordered to proceed on foreign service forthwith. The causes which had led to the disturbance were closely investigated, and as a natural consequence Colonel Byfield was placed upon half-pay. It was for a long time doubtful whether Diggle, who was the next senior, should be allowed to succeed to the command; but he brought all the interest he could to bear, and he eventually won the day. As Colonel Diggle, commanding a corps really distinguished, although temporarily under a cloud, he found Sir Rupert Farrington not indisposed to accept his proposals for Letitia; and the marriage came off just before the regiment embarked for Gibraltar. It was at Farrington Hall that the conversation turning, as it had done more than once before, upon the recent mutiny, brought our hero, Herbert Larkins, prominently to the front. ‘The movement was not general, certainly not,’ Diggle had said. ‘One of the companies, F, Ernest’s in fact, did not take any share in it.’ ‘Does Ernest deserve the credit of that?’ ‘Not exactly. It was due rather to an astute young corporal, who quietly locked the doors of the men’s rooms. They couldn’t get out to join.’ ‘Really? He was promoted, of course?’ ‘Yes; he is now a sergeant, and is sure to get on. Oh yes, young Larkins is sure to get on.’ ‘It was young Larkins, was it?’ ‘Do you know him?’ ‘I think I do. I will tell you about it one of these days.’ Diggle, as one of the Farrington family, would soon have a right to know. CHAPTER XI. SOME OLD FRIENDS MEET.