“Hid!” exclaimed Dorothy in astonishment; “why, what was your object in doing that?” “Just this,” said Beatrice, with a merry laugh; “I thought they might take the seat I had left and, if they did, what fun it would be to creep up behind them and drop a few grains of gravel down the collar of Ralph’s uniform.” “Oh, the idea!” exclaimed Dorothy, with a shocked air. “And, Trixy,” severely, “since when have you taken to calling the officers of the Guard by their first names?” “Captain Swords, I should say, of course,” replied Beatrice, not in the least abashed; “but he’s so jolly and all his brother officers call him Ralph. It seems so much easier to call him that. What a brave fellow he must be, too! Captain Bingham was telling me how he--Ral--Captain Swords, I mean--rode out to retake the abandoned guns at Vladivik and how he was wounded. Oh, I just thrilled as I listened to that story.” “Yes,” exclaimed Dorothy, apparently catching Beatrice’s enthusiasm, “but Captain Mortimer was there, too. It was he, after all, who brought in the guns and, though wounded, carried Captain Swords from under the Russian fire.” “Yes; and Ralph--Captain Swords, I mean--was decorated with the Columbia Cross,” said Beatrice. “So was Captain Mortimer,” replied Dorothy, “besides receiving mention in General Orders. But,” she added hastily, “are we going to discuss the Russian War, dear, or are you going on with your story?” “I’m sure it must have been you who interrupted me, dear,” rejoined Beatrice imperturbably. “Let me see, where was I? Oh, yes! I had hidden behind the big bush. Well, on they came and, sure enough, they seated themselves at the very place I had just left. For a while they sat there quite still. Neither of them said anything and from my hiding-place I could smell the smoke of their cigars. I was trying to find some gravel, but I couldn’t discover any behind the bush, so I was stooping down looking for some pebbles of the right size, when suddenly Captain Swords’ voice came to me. ‘Stanley, old fellow,’ he said, ‘there’s been something wrong with you the last few days. Won’t you speak out and tell me what’s the matter? Usually there are no secrets between us.’ “It seemed to me a long time before the other made any reply, but at last his voice came to me. “‘Ralph,’ he said, ‘I want to get out of this--to get away from here. I’ve made up my mind to leave the Guard and exchange into the Tenth, or some other regiment.’ “‘You astonish me, Stanley,’ replied Captain Swords; ‘for I thought it was rather jolly here and that you found it so, too. But, be that as it may, if you want to exchange, then exchange let it be for both of us. Just say the word--when?’ “‘What! You’ll leave the Imperial Guard, too?’ the other exclaimed. “‘Yes,’ said Captain Swords, ‘we’ve always been together. Whenever you go, I go with you. Still, I’d like to know just what has put you out of sorts with things here.’