Teddy's Button

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the blazing sun, but the crop of curls seemed thick enough to protect him from its ray

h a deep far-away look in them. They were dancing and flashing with excitement now, and his whole frame was quivering with enthusiasm; with head thrown back

hich figured conspicuously in the centre of his small

cut and he slashed, and heads and arms and legs rolled off as quick as lightning, one after the other. He got up to the colours, and with a shout he plunged his sword right through the enemy's body that had stolen them! The enemy fell stone dead. My father seized the colours and looked round. He was alone! The other soldiers had been bea

, and then dropped dead himself at the colonel's feet, the blood gu

raising it again, he added triumphantly, 'And thirty bullets and six swo

c from the crowd, 'it was twenty bul

tton,' pursued the boy, ignori

er have only one b

d as an ordinary village child, but in a little rough serge sailor suit, with a large hat to match, set well back on a quantity of loose dark hair. A rosy-cheeked

tle taken aback, Tedd

' here he turned upon his questioner with a little fierceness-'if you had been through such a bloody battle

use at this, but the small

u told?' she demanded, w

ue,' was the indig

t determined lips she turned on her heel and walked away, having

ed by his recital, he threw himself on the gras

kon. They had two carpet bags and a box and a poll parrot in a cage. I counted them myself, for I was

small urchin, capering round on his hands and f

ELLS THE STORY OF HIS

urmured Teddy, chewing a w

If she'd been a boy you

re for naught

omised my mother I won't fight again till she gives me leave. You see, I fought four boys in one week last time,

etty safe. Besides, it was only Tom Larken, who set them on to try and get

blue sky above him, 'that I wasn't quite true about the bullets. I think it was six bullets and

dly seeming to touch the ground. There was none in the village so quick-footed as Teddy, and for daring feats and downright pluck he held the foremost place. Perhaps this accounted for his popularity, perhaps it

fore an old-fashioned farmhouse. He passed his hands lightly through his curls, pulled himself up wit

osite her was seated her son, the master of the farm, a heavy-faced, sleepy-looking man; and at his side, facing the door, sat Teddy's mother. A sweet gentle-faced young woman she was, with the same deep blue eyes as her little son; she bore no resemblance to the elder woman, and looked, as she indeed was, superior to her surroundings. Two years ago she had come with her child to ma

the stern greeting of his grandmoth

his eye, put his little hand to his fo

s he slipped into the chai

asked the young mother, whose eyes

story,' replied Te

e said nothing, only occupied herself with attending to the child's wants. 'Yo

was a boy? I shall be always

hen; bad habits, lik

k till the meal was over. Then, whilst tea was being taken away by the women, he turned t

le J

icient. The two perfectly understood each other,

l arms and looking up at his uncle steadily; 'all good people had enemies in

?' asked

l; we should have a fine time of it. And then perhaps, if he did something dreadfully wrong, mo

in this world; peace is grander,' w

ning-"Blessed are the peacemakers!" but you must hav

ance warranted, but Teddy's speeches were often a sore puzzle to him. The boy continued in a slow, thoughtfu

ay. They be a powerful enemy sometimes, lad

ed into his cheeks-'she said she didn't believe a word of fath

t strong; and who

id she's come to live wit

nversation. 'I heard she was coming to stay with her father this summer, and glad

other, as with work in hand she came out

nd from these parts. She was maid to our squire's lady then, and went to foreign parts with her; but fo