So day in, day out, Eric's chosen men plied trebuchet and balista, and Beltane, beholding the dire havoc wrought by heavy stone and whizzing javelin among the dense ranks of the besiegers despite their mantlets and stout palisades, grew sick at times and was fain to look otherwhere.

"Now mark yon tower," said Sir Benedict, closing his vizor, "here shall be good sport for Eric's perrierswatch now!"

Then Eric's thralls caused a landslide on Valthiof's farm, Valthiofsstadir.

Eric's legs gave way under him, and he knelt on the white sand, just looking and looking at the bigness of it, the splendor of it, the color of it, and listening to the music of it.

Perhaps Eric's good times in the Forest reached their very height that June night of the dance.

And Eric's head was too full of dreams and his eyes too full of visions of the sea to notice them at all.

At one-thirty, they walked across a graveled driveway in Falmouth and knocked on Bogdolf Eric's door.

" What is said in the interpreted Sagas, of the Skroellings or Esquimaux being in New England at the date of Eric's voyage (A. D. 1001) is, I think, problematical.

" "Shame!" said Russell, as he saw the mark on Eric's cheek; "what a fellow you are, Barker.

" Eric's deliverance came very soon.

It must not be thought that Eric's year as a home boarder was made up of dark experiences.

The Williams' spent the holidays at Fairholm, and now, indeed, in the prospect of losing them, Eric's feelings to his parents came out in all their strength.

"Your cousin Upton has 'taken up' Williams," said Montagu to Russell one afternoon, as he saw the two strolling together on the beach, with Eric's arm in Upton's.

"O yes, Monty, do," said Russell, "It will be quite like old times; now that my cousin Horace has got hold of Eric, we have to sing 'When shall we three meet again?'" Russell only spoke in fun; but, unintentionally, his words jarred in Eric's heart.

Upton was angry at Eric's declining the honor of his company, and Eric was piqued at Upton's unreasonableness.

Yours, if you are not silly, E.W." The consequence was, that as they came out from prayers, Upton seized Eric's hand, and slapped him on the back, after which they had a good laugh over their own foolish fracas, and ran up stairs chattering merrily.

During the evening he drew out Eric's exercise, and compared it with, those of Russell and Owen, who were now getting easily ahead of him in marks.

On this occasion he was particularly angry; he had an especial dislike of seeing the two boys together, because he fancied that the younger had grown more than usually conceited and neglectful, since he had been under the fifth-form patronage; and he saw in Eric's presence there, a new case of wilful disobedience.

" A transient gleam passed over Eric's face.

He took Eric's arm kindly as they entered, to show the whole school that he was not ashamed of him, and Eric deeply felt the delicacy of his goodwill.

Cold, and cruel, and remorseless, the sea beat up, drenching them to the skin continually with, its clammy spray; and the storm shrieked round them pitilessly, and flung about the wet hair on Eric's bare head, and forced him to plant himself firmly, lest the rage of the gusts should hurl them from their narrow resting-place.

It was past nine at night, and the lower school had gone to bed, but there was Wildney quietly sitting on Eric's knee by the study fire, while Duncan was doing some Arnold's verses for him to be shown up next day.

hang you all, you are all turning against me, because you are a set of muffs, and" "Take care!" said Duncan; but suddenly he caught Eric's look, and stopped.

And now it was Eric's turn to go in.

But peace did not remain long in Eric's heart; each well-remembered landmark filled his soul with recollections of the days when he had returned from school, oh!