“I hope not, indeed,” Rex said. “I only say that I think it will be harder work than you expect.”
“Now, Mr. Bateman,” the Major said, “I hope that you will tell us the story of the rescue of your cousins, of which the admiral told me.”
“I have had to tell it so many times since I came back,” Rex said, “that I really hope you will excuse me.”
“Oh, no, that is mistaken modesty on your part!”
“I will tell it for him,” his father said; “it is a good story, and does the boy great credit.”
“Then I will go and see if everything is ready outside,” said Rex.
It was half an hour before he returned, and by that time his father had finished the story. The officers all warmly congratulated him when he re–entered the room.
“I wish I had done it,” one of the young lieutenants said. “I would have given anything to have carried out such a plan.”
“I suppose you have not been in England at all,” the Major said; “for if you had been you would scarcely have been able to speak Chinese so well.”
“Yes, he has been four years there,” Mr. Bateman said, “but I sent over with him a Chinese boy, who has always been his companion, and Rex had two days off school each week to go about with him and so keep up his knowledge of the language. I intend to go home myself in a few yearsʼ time, and as he will then be left in charge it is of the utmost importance that he should keep up his Chinese. Latin and Greek would be of no value whatever here, so I arranged that he should only take up English subjects and English games.”