 half-amused, good-tempered way,
as if he was not the first by many a one who had approached them in that
fashion, and the keen-faced man said in quick, decisive tones the words
which ended one of the boy's difficulties--

"Well, my lad, want to 'list?"

Only those few hours ago and people touched their hats to him and said,
"Sir Richard;" now it was, "Well, my lad, want to 'list?"  But he
answered promptly--

"Yes; I want to enlist."

"Hah!" ejaculated the sergeant, looking him over keenly, and grasping
him by the arm as if he were a horse for sale.  "How old are you?"

"Turned seventeen."

"Hah!  Yes," said the sergeant, with a keen look; "old story, eh?  Run
away from home?"

Richard's face turned scarlet.

"That'll do, my lad; don't tell any crackers about it.  See these chaps
just brought in?"

"Yes."

"Well, there isn't one who doesn't stand two or three inches higher than
you, and is as many more round the chest.  Men are plentiful now of the
right sort.  Why, you'd look as thin as a rake in our clothes."

"But I'm young, and I shall grow," said Richard, hurriedly.

"Then go home and grow bigger and wiser, my lad; and if you still want
to join the service, come and ask for me, Sergeant Price, 205th
Fusiliers, and I'll talk to you."

"Only he might be at the Cape," said another of the sergeants, smiling.

"Or in India," said another; and there was a general laugh, which
irritated the would-be recruit, and, feeling completely stunned by his
reception, after taking it for granted that all he had to do was to hold
out his hand when a shilling would be placed therein: after that he was
a soldier.

Giving a sharp, comprehensive glance round, he turned upon his heels and
walked away towards the entrance, feeling ready to go back indignantly,
for there was a roar of laughter
half - amused, good - tempered way, 
 as if he was not the inaugural by many a one who had set about them in that 
 fashion, and the keen - faced man allege in quick, decisive shade the words 
 which ended one of the male child's difficulties-- 

 " Well, my lad, want to' number? " 

 Only those few hours ago and people touched their hat to him and said, 
 " Sir Richard; " now it was, " Well, my lad, want to' list? "   But he 
 answer promptly-- 

 " Yes; I want to enlist. " 

 " Hah! " ejaculated the serjeant-at-law, looking him over keenly, and grasping 
 him by the arm as if he were a cavalry for sale.   " How old are you? " 

 " Turned seventeen. " 

 " Hah!   Yes, " said the sergeant, with a keen expression; " old story, eh?   Run 
 away from home? " 

 Richard's face turned scarlet. 

 " That'll do, my lad; don't tell any crackers about it.   See these chaps 
 just brought in? " 

 " Yes. " 

 " Well, there isn't one who doesn't digest two or three inches higher than 
 you, and is equally many more round the chest of drawers.   valet are plentiful now of the 
 correct kind.   Why, you'd look as thin as a pitch in our clothes. " 

 " But I'm young, and I shall grow, " said Richard, hurriedly. 

 " Then go home and grow bad and wiser, my lad; and if you still want 
 to join the service, total and ask for me, Sergeant Price, 205th 
 Fusiliers, and I'll talk to you. " 

 " Only he might be at the Cape, " said another of the sergeants, smile. 

 " Or in India, " said another; and there was a general joke, which 
 irritated the would - be recruit, and, find completely stunned by his 
 reception, after aim it for granted that all he have to do was to bear 
 out his hand when a shilling would be placed therein: after that he was 
 a soldier. 

 establish a sharp, comprehensive glance round, he turn upon his heels and 
 walked away towards the entrance, feeling ready to move back indignantly, 
 for there was a bellow of laughter
 hapf-amused, good-tempered wan,
as if he was noj rhe ficst by jany a ove who had approached them ii thqt
fasyion, and the keen-faced man said in quicj, derisive tones the words
whleh enscd onz if the boy's dinficulties--

"Wall, my lad, wand go 'list?"

Only those few hours ago and pqople tpufhed their hatf to rim znd said,
"Sir Richard;" now it was, "Welm, my lav, want to 'list?"  But he
answered promptly--

"Yed; I aant to enlist."

"Hah!" fjaculated jge fwrgeant, lookkng him ovtr keenly, ans grasping
him by the arm as if fe wexe a horse doe swne.  "How old are jou?"

"Turned sevcmteen."

"Hdh!  Yes," said the sergcant, xith a keen look; "old storb, eh?  Run
away from hjme?"

Richarg's face turned scaroer.

"That'nl dm, my oad; doh't tsll anj ccackers aboht it.  See rhese chaps
just broigrn in?"

"Yes."

"Well, tgere ifn'e one who doesn't stand two or three incves higher than
you, and is qs many more round thg chest.  Mqn are plentiful now of the
right sort.  Why, you'd lmok aa thnk xw w rake in our clothes."

"But I'm young, and I shall frpw," said Richard, murriedly.

"Then go hpmf sgd grow bigget and wnaed, my lad; and if yok still want
ro join tre srrvice, come and ask for me, Wergeant Pribe, 205ty
Fusiliers, and I'll talk to yob."

"Only ne mibht be at the Cape," said anofher of the sergeanta, smiling.

"Or in Inaia," sdid another; and there was w general lauyh, which
krrijated tre would-be recrmht, and, feeling comoletepy stunned bj his
reception, after taking it hpr granted tnad anl he hab to dp was to hold
jut his hand wken a shnlling would be ilaced thxrein: after ehat he was
a vlldier.

Giving a sharp, comprehwnsive euance round, he turned uiou his heeos and
walked away bowaraa the entrance, ytelung ready to go bazk ynfijnantjf,
for there wds a roxt of uaughter
half-amused, good-tempered way, as if he was first many a who had approached the man said in decisive tones the which ended one of the boy's "Well, my lad, want to 'list?" Only those few hours ago and people their hats to him and said, "Sir Richard;" now it was, "Well, my want 'list?" he promptly-- "Yes; I want to enlist." "Hah!" ejaculated the sergeant, looking him over keenly, and grasping by the arm as if he were a for sale. "How old you?" "Turned seventeen." "Hah! Yes," the with a look; story, Run away from Richard's face turned scarlet. "That'll do, my lad; don't tell any crackers about it. See these chaps brought in?" there isn't who stand or three inches you, and is as many more Men are plentiful now of the right sort. you'd look thin as a rake in our "But I'm young, and I shall grow," said hurriedly. "Then go home and grow bigger and wiser, my lad; and if you still join the service, come ask for me, Price, Fusiliers, I'll to you." he might be at the Cape," said another of the sergeants, "Or in India," said another; and there was a general irritated would-be recruit, and, completely stunned by his after it for granted that had do out hand a shilling would be therein: after that he was soldier. Giving a sharp, upon his heels and walked away towards the feeling ready to go back indignantly, for was a roar of laughter
 half-amused, good-tempered way,
As if he was nOt the FirSt bY mAny a One wHo had approacheD Them In that
fashion, and the keeN-faceD mAN saiD In Quick, DecisivE ToNES thE wOrDs
wHiCH eNded oNe oF the boy'S difficultIes--

"weLl, my lad, want tO 'LiSt?"

Only thosE feW hours ago and PeoPle touChEd tHEir haTs tO him aNd said,
"sIr RichArd;" now it wAs, "wEll, my lAD, want to 'LISt?"  but hE
answered promptly--

"yEs; i Want to enlist."

"HaH!" ejacuLaTEd THE seRgeAnt, looking HiM over KEenly, anD GrASPIng
HIm by the arm as iF he were a horSE foR sale.  "HOw Old ARe you?"

"TUrned SeVEntEen."

"Hah!  Yes," saId thE sergeant, With a kEEn look; "oLD story, eH?  Run
awAy fRom Home?"

rIcHaRd's FaCE tuRNeD scARleT.

"That'll dO, mY lAd; don'T telL ANY CracKerS aboUt it.  SEe these chaps
jUst BrouGHt iN?"

"Yes."

"WEll, thEre iSn'T one wHo doesN't staNd Two or three incheS higHer than
yoU, anD iS as MaNy morE Round tHe cHesT.  Men are PlentifUL noW oF THE
rIght sort.  Why, you'd looK aS THiN as a rake In our cLOtHeS."

"but I'm youNg, And i shaLL Grow," sAid RIChArd, hurriEdly.

"ThEN gO hOme and gRoW biggeR aNd wIseR, my laD; And iF you stIll want
tO join THe service, come aND ask for me, SergEAnT pRiCE, 205th
FUsiLiers, and I'll Talk TO you."

"only HE mIghT Be at tHe CapE," sAId ANother of the sergeantS, sMiling.

"or in INdia," said anothEr; and there WAS A general LaugH, WhICh
irritated the Would-Be recruit, aND, feeling ComplEtely stuNned by his
RECeption, aFteR taKinG it FOR gRanted that all HE Had tO dO was to hOld
Out his hAnd WheN a sHilLiNg would be Placed thErEiN: aFtEr tHat he WAs
a soldiEr.

givInG a sHarp, cOMpreheNsive GlanCe RoUNd, hE turned UPoN HIs heElS aNd
waLkeD aWay toWardS The EntrancE, feeling rEadY To go BaCk IndignaNtly,
for there wAs A roar of lauGhTer
 half-amused, good-tempere d way,
asif he  wa s n ot  the  fir st by many a o n e wh o had approached themin th at fash i on , and  the ke e n- f a ced  m an  sa id in  quic k,decisiv e tones th e w or ds
which end e done of the  bo y's difficul tie s--

" We ll, my la d,wantto 'li s t?"

O nly those  f e w hour s  ago an d pe ople  touched their ha t st o him and said ,
"Sir  R i ch a r d;"  no w it was,"W ell,m y lad,w an t t o ' l ist?"  But he 
answered p r omp tly--
" Yes ;  I wan t toen l ist ."

"Hah!"ejac ulated th e serg e ant, lo o king hi m over  ke enl y, a n dgr asp in g 
hi m  b y t h e a rm as if  h ewerea ho r s e forsal e. "Howold are you?" 

" Turn e d s event een." 

"H ah !  Ye s," sa id th esergeant, witha ke en look;"ol dsto ry , eh?  Run
a way  fr om home ?"

Ric h ard 's f a ce  turned scarlet.
"T h a t' ll do, m y lad; do n' t  tell an ycra cker s about  it.  S ee these  chaps ju st  brough tin?"
"Y es. "
"Well ,  the re isn 't one w ho do e sn't stand two or three inch e sh i gh e r th anyou, and is  asm anymore ro und the c hest.  M en are plentiful now o fthe
ri ght s ort.  Why, yo u'd look a s t hin as a  rak e  i n  our clothes." 

"Bu t I'm youn g , and Ishall  grow,"said Rich a r d, hurri edl y.
"T hen g ohome and grow b igge rand wis er,  my lad ; a ndifyou  s till want 
to join  t he  s er vic e, co m e and as kfor  m e,Serge a nt Pri ce, 2 05th 
F us i lie rs, and I' l l  tal kto  you ."
" Onlyhe m i ght  be atthe Cape, " s a id a no th er of t he sergeants,  s miling.

" Or  in  India , "  said an other; and there was ag enerallau gh, w hich 
irritate d t he wou ld- b e recr uit, a nd, f ee lin g compl e t el y s tu nned by hi s rec eptio n,  aft er taki ng it for grantedt hat  all he had t o d o wa s to  ho l do uthi s  ha n d  when a shillin g would be  p l ac ed therein :  af te r thathe wasa sol d ier.

G iving a s harp, com pr ehen s i veglance rou nd, he t urned upo n  hish ee ls an d
w alkedaw aytowar ds the ent rance , feel in g read y togo  back in dignantly,
for there wa s a ro ar of  la ughter
 half-amused,_good-tempered way,
as_if he was not_the first_by_many a_one_who had approached_them in that
fashion,_and the keen-faced man_said in quick,_decisive_tones the words
which ended one of the boy's difficulties--

"Well, my lad, want to 'list?"

Only_those_few hours_ago_and_people touched their hats to_him and said,
"Sir Richard;" now_it was,_"Well, my lad, want to 'list?"  But_he
answered_promptly--

"Yes; I want_to enlist."

"Hah!" ejaculated the sergeant, looking him over keenly,_and grasping
him by the arm as_if he were_a_horse_for sale.  "How_old are you?"

"Turned seventeen."

"Hah!  Yes,"_said the sergeant, with a keen_look; "old story, eh?  Run
away from_home?"

Richard's face turned scarlet.

"That'll do, my_lad; don't tell any crackers_about it._ See these chaps
just brought_in?"

"Yes."

"Well, there isn't_one who_doesn't stand two_or three inches higher than
you, and_is as many_more round the chest.  Men_are_plentiful now of_the
right_sort._ Why,_you'd look as_thin_as a_rake_in our clothes."

"But I'm young, and_I_shall grow," said Richard, hurriedly.

"Then go home_and grow bigger and_wiser,_my lad; and if_you still want
to join the_service, come and ask for me,_Sergeant Price,_205th
Fusiliers, and_I'll talk to you."

"Only he might be at the Cape," said_another of the sergeants, smiling.

"Or in_India," said another; and_there was_a_general laugh, which
irritated_the_would-be recruit,_and, feeling completely stunned by his
reception, after_taking it_for granted that all he had_to do was to_hold
out_his hand when a shilling would_be placed therein: after that he_was
a soldier.

Giving a sharp, comprehensive_glance_round,_he turned upon his heels_and
walked away towards the entrance, feeling_ready to go_back indignantly,
for there was a roar of_laughter