His Big Opportunity | Page 4

Rectory under Mr. Selby's
tuition, but their afternoons were their own, and it was hard to be kept
within four walls, and expected to make no sound to disturb their
grandmother's afternoon nap.
The old nurse was nodding in her chair, and her charges with jackets
off and rolled up shirt sleeves were advancing toward each other on
tiptoe, and muttering their threats in wrathful whispers.
"I'll show you I'm no coddle!"
"And I'll show you I'm no lazy lubber!"
At the sound of their aunt's voice they stopped; and each picked up his
jacket with some confusion, Dudley saying contentedly, "All right, old
fellow, pax now, and we'll finish it up to-morrow."
"Aunt Judy, do let us come into the drawing-room then, and hear you
sing; we're sick of this old nursery, we're too big to be kept here."

Roy spoke scornfully, but his aunt shook her head at him:
"Do you know this is the room I love best in the house? Your father
and I used it till we were double your age, and no place ever came up to
it in our estimation. Don't be little prigs and think yourselves men
before you're boys!"
"Why, Aunt Judy, we've been boys ever since we were born!"
"I look upon you as infants now," retorted Miss Bertram, laughing.
"Come along--tiptoe past granny's room, please, and no racing
downstairs."
"We'll slide down the rails instead, we always do when granny is
asleep."
"Not when I am with you, thank you."
A few minutes afterward, and the boys were standing on either side of
the piano listening with delight to the song that has stirred so many
boyish hearts:
"'Tis a story, what a story, tho' it never made a noise Of cherub-headed
Jake and Jim, two little drummer boys Of all the wildest scamps that
e'er provoked a sergeant's eye, They were first in every wickedness, but
one thing could not lie, And they longed to face the music, when the
tidings from afar Brought the news of wild disaster in a wild and
savage war. Said the Colonel, 'How can babies of battle bear the brunt?'
Said the little orphan rascals, 'please Sir, take us to the front! And we'll
play to the men in the far-off land, When their eyes for home are dim;
If the Indians come, they shall hear our drum In the van where the fight
is grim. Our lads we know, to the death will go, If they're led by Jake
and Jim.'
"In the battle, 'mid the rattle, and the deadly hail of lead, The two were
in their glory--What did they know of dread? And fierce the heathen
cry arose across the Indian plain, And 'twas Home, for the bravest there
would never be again, The raw recruits were restless, and they counted

not the cost, And the Colonel shouted, 'Steady lads, stand fast, or else
we're lost.' A rush! 'twas like an avalanche! a clash of steel and red! A
shock like mountain thunder, then the reg'ment turned and fled. 'Give
me the drum, take the fife,' said Jake, 'And with all your might and
main, Play the old step now, for the reg'ment's sake As they scatter
along the plain. We'll play them up to the front once more, Tho' we
never come back again.'
"Then might the world have seen two little dots in red, Facing the foe,
when the rest had turned and fled! So young, so brave and gay, while
others held their breath, They played ev'ry inch of the way to meet their
death; And then at last the reg'ment turned, for vengeance ev'ry man To
save the lads they turned and fought as only demons can; They swept
the foe before them across the mountain rim, But victory that day could
never bring back Jake or Jim. And they silently stood where the
children fell, Not a word of triumph said, For they knew who had led as
they bowed each head, And looked at the quiet dead; That the fight was
won, and the reg'ment saved, By those two little dots in red."
Miss Bertram stole a glance at the boys' faces as she finished singing.
With a wriggle and a twist Dudley turned his back upon her; but not
before she had seen the blue eyes swimming with tears, and heard a
choking sob being hastily swallowed. Roy stood erect, his little face
quivering with emotion, and his usually pale cheek flushed a deep
crimson, whilst his small determined mouth and chin looked more
resolute and daring than ever. His hands thrust deep in the pockets of
his knickerbockers he looked straight before him and repeated with
emphasis,
"They played every inch of the way to meet their death!"
"Regular little heroes, weren't they?"