"Off the kopje in which he died," said Dickenson, in reply to an inquiring look directed at him by the captain. "For his people at home if I live to get back. They'll like to have it." Captain Roby said nothing aloud, but he thought, and his thoughts were something to this effect: "Who'd ever have thought it of this light-hearted, chaffing, joking fellow? Why, if they had been brothers he couldn't have taken it more to heart. Ha! I never liked the poor lad, and I don't think he liked me. There were times when I believe I hated him for--for--for--Well, why did I dislike him? Because other people liked him better than they did me, I suppose. Ah, well! like or not like, it's all over now." He sat thinking for a few minutes longer, watching Dickenson furtively as he now kept turning himself a little this way and that way and changed his seat twice for a fresh piece of hot stone. Suddenly at his last change he caught the captain's eye, and said quite cheerfully: "Getting a bit drier now." Then, seeing a surprised look in his brother officer's countenance, he said quietly, "I'm a soldier, sir, and we've no time for thinking if there's another comrade gone out of our ranks." "No," said Roby laconically, and he hold out his hand, in which Dickenson slowly laid his own, looking rather wistfully as he felt it pressed warmly. "I--I hope we shall be better friends in the future, Dickenson," said the captain rather awkwardly. "I hope so too, sir," replied Dickenson, but there was more sadness than warmth in his tones as his hand was released. "Yes; soldiers have no time for being otherwise.--There!" The captain sprang up, and Dickenson stiffly followed his example. "Fall in, my lads.--Well, corporal, how are you now?" "Head's horrid bad, sir; but this bit of a rest has pulled me together. I should like to fall out when we get near the way down to the spring." "Of course, my lad, of course.--Here, any one else like a drink?" "Yes, sir," came in chorus from the rank. "All of us, please, sir," added the sergeant. "Very well, then; we'll fall out again for a few minutes when get down. 'Tention! Right face--march!" The men went on, all the better for their rest, while the captain joined Dickenson in the rear, and marched step by step with him for some minutes in silence. "What confoundedly bad walking it is down here!" he said at last. "Shakes a man all to pieces." "I hadn't noticed it," said Dickenson, with something like a sigh. "I say!" Dickenson turned to look in the captain's face. "Come straight to the chief with me, Dickenson. I don't like my job of telling him. He'll say I oughtn't to have let the poor fellow go down." "I don't think he will," replied Dickenson, after a few moments' silence. "The old man's as hard as stone over a bit of want of discipline; but he's always just." "Think so?" said the captain.