"That's true, sir," grumbled the old soldier; "and after all said and done, I don't think much of big guns. If you could get 'em close up to the end of a ridgement, and the men would stand still, you could bowl a lot of 'em over like skittles; but there's a lot of waste going on with this sort of firing, and if it warn't for the show we make, and which keeps 'em off, we might as well sit down and smoke our pipes, and watch where the balls went that they send." "But you must keep on, Ben. You may have a lucky shot yet." "Oh, we aren't done so very badly since you went, sir! Soon as they'd done that bit o' damage to the top there, as'll cost Sir Granby a lot o' money to repair, the corporal sent 'em an answer which made 'em carry away four men to the rear." "Killed?" said Roy, excitedly. "Ah! that's more than we can say, sir. They didn't send us word. He's got the best gun, you see, sir; and I don't take so well to this sort of work. I want a good horse between my knees, and your father ahead of me to lead. Why, if he was here with his ridgement, he'd take us along like a big brush, and sweep this mob o' rebels off the country, as clean as one of the maids would do it with a broom. I say, sir; try your luck. The men like to see you have a shot or two. You boys are so lucky." Roy tried and tried again as the day wore on, and the duel between tower and battery went on, but tried in vain. The men were relieved, and the fresh relay kept up a steady fire, shot for shot with the enemy; but nothing was done beyond knocking the earth up in all directions; while as fast as the face of the battery was injured, they could see spades and baskets at work, and the earth was replaced by more. A demonstration was made by the enemy on the sides of the castle, as if to try what was to be expected there; but a shot or two from the corner towers forced the horsemen to retire; and night was approaching fast when Ben and the corporal relieved the men who had been firing all the afternoon, and Roy was with them just as the old soldier took aim for his first shot. "I've given her an extra charge of powder, sir," he said. "I'd ha' give her a double dose, on'y it would be a pity to burst her. Like to run your eye along before she's fired, sir?" "No; you try this time, Ben." As Roy spoke, there was a tremendous crash, followed by the report of the enemy's gun; and the rattling down of the splintered stone told how heavy the impact of the shot had been. "More damage," growled Ben. "They're a-shooting ever so much better than us, corporal." The next minute he applied the port-fire, and the gun sprang back, as a tremendous report followed. "Made her kick quite savage, sir," said Ben, with a chuckle. "She says it's more powder than she likes." He stepped to the embrasure as the smoke slowly rose, and gazed out at the enemy's battery. "Come and look, Master Roy," he said, with a grim smile.--"I say, corporal, that's one to me."