ck and fell. In an
instant her thin nightdress was on fire, and she was so blinded by the
glare and the smoke that she did not know which way to turn. Happily one
of the native servants heard the noise, and, wrapping a wet blanket
about him which was too damp to burn, he managed to crawl over the floor
and drag her through the verandah to a place of safety. He then ran back
and succeeded in reaching the two boys and putting them beside their
mother, but not before the eldest had been badly burnt.

[Illustration: He managed to crawl over the floor.]

As for the baby, she died in a few days, and it was thought that her
mother, who had been borne unconscious to the house of a neighbour,
could hardly survive her many hours.

Such was the news which reached Havelock at Kurnaul, where the regiment
was now stationed. It was a crushing blow to him, but, with a violent
effort to control himself, he sent a hasty request to the colonel for
leave, and arranged the most important parts of his work, so that it
might be carried on by another officer. He had just finished and was
ready to start when a message was brought in from the men of his
regiment, who were waiting below, begging that he would speak to them
for one moment. Half dazed he hurried out to the courtyard, and then the
sergeant stepped forward from the ranks, and in a few words told him of
the sorrow with which all his company had heard of the terrible
calamity, and hoped that he would accept a month of their pay to go
towards replacing the burnt furniture.

Havelock was touched to the heart, and his eyes filled with tears of
gratitude. His voice shook as he stammered out his thanks, but he could
not take their savings, though to the end of his life he never forgot
the kindness of their offer. Happily Mrs. Havelock did not die, and in a
few months was as well as ever.

* * * * *

In 1838, when Havelock had been twenty-three years a soldier, he
obtained his captaincy by the death of the man above him, and in the end
of the same year the war with Afghanistan gave him another chance of
distinguishing himself.

It was a very unfortunate and badly managed business. The native ruler,
the Ameer or Dost Mohammed, who had for twelve years governed the
country fairly well, was deposed, and a weak and treacherous prince,
hated by all the Afghans, was chosen by us to replace him. This could
only be done by the help of our troops, and although E