Chapter 14: Heroes

Old Principle’s accident was a great event in the village. The boys got their fair share of praise in his rescue, but their grandmother did not see it in such a favorable light.

“You ought never to have left your lessons without leave, or taken a cart belonging to a stranger all unknown to him, or gone off alone without telling any one about it. And you were shown the folly and uselessness of such a proceeding by arriving on the scene and being utterly unable to extricate him from his position. If children would realize their weakness and foolishness more in these days, they would develop into better men and women, but self-sufficiency and self-conceit are signs of the times!”

Every day the boys went to see their friend, and even Mrs. Selby allowed that they could be quiet and well-behaved in a sick room. It was a long time before old Principle regained his health, and he seemed to have grown much older and feebler since his accident; but his serenity of spirit was undisturbed, and some of the neighbors who had before voted him close and cranky, now offered to come and sit with him, and learned many a lesson from his sickbed. When he was at last able to take his place in the shop again, Roy’s mind was at ease about him.

“I was so afraid he was going to die as long as he stayed in bed,” he confided to Dudley: “I hope no one will ever die that I like, it must be such a dreadful thing to have them gone. I think I would rather die first, wouldn’t you?”

“We can’t all die first,” said matter-of-fact Dudley; “somebody must be last.”

“Well, I don’t think I shall be,” returned Roy, “that’s the best of being weak like I am.”

But this assurance brought no comfort to Dudley.

A few more labored letters came from Rob, and then one that stirred the boys’ hearts after he had been about three months away from them. It was to say that he was going out to India in a draft, and had been allowed three days to come and say good-bye to his friends.

Roy was almost beside himself with excitement at the prospect of seeing him again; and when the day came, he insisted upon going to the station by himself to meet him. Dudley perched on the garden wall awaited their coming.

Rob was certainly improved in appearance. He held himself up bravely, but a softened light came into his eyes, as Roy, looking whiter and more fragile than ever, flung himself into his arms, utterly regardless of all onlookers.

“I’m right glad to see you, Master Roy,” said Rob, in a husky voice.

“Oh, Rob, you look so splendid! And you’ve got to be quite a man! Come on, I’m going to drive you home, and we shall be all by ourselves. Now tell me, are you really and truly happy?”

Rob did not answer this question till he was in the trap being driven homeward; then he said, slowly, “Yes, I’m thinking I like it first-rate, but ‘tis hard in many ways. ‘Tis hard to keep straight and do the right, when most seems to live the other way.”

“But most of the soldiers aren’t bad, are they?” questioned Roy with startled eyes.

“They aren’t out and out bad—just careless, I reckon, but old Principle would say they’re lacking in principle.”

“And is it hard being a soldier? I suppose it must be a little. I came across a text I thought would just fit you, Rob, the other day. ‘Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.’”

Rob’s eyes brightened. He seemed strangely older and graver in his ways, yet when they drove up in sight of Dudley who slipped down over the wall, and tumbled himself into the trap with them, he made the boys roar with laughter with his funny incidents of barrack-room life.

The three days passed only too soon. Innumerable were the questions put to the young soldier, and Roy’s curiosity about a military life was insatiable.

“Well,” he said at last, “I don’t think I should be strong enough to be a soldier, but I’m awfully glad you’re one, Rob. And now you’ve got your chance in India of doing something grand and getting the Victoria Cross. The opportunity has come to you, and Dudley and I can’t get it, though we’ve tried hard. But we have helped to send you out to India to do it, Rob, so you won’t fail us, will you? And then when you come back covered with medals, you shall live with me and always dress in your uniform, so we’ll look forward and think of that!”