e in from the next
room to see what was the matter.

"Ah!" he said, when he heard the cause of the uproar; "when I first
came out here, I should have done the same, and should have regarded
the certainty of being knocked on the head as cheerfully as you do.
Eight years out here takes the enthusiasm out of a man, and I shall
wait quietly to see whether we are to be transferred to Calcutta, or
shipped back to England."

A quarter of an hour later, Charlie and Peters joined Captain Clive in
the camp.

"Ah!" he said, "My young friends, I'm glad to see you. There is plenty
for you to do, at once. We shall march tomorrow, and all preparations
have to be made. You will both have the rank of ensign, while you
serve with me. I have only six other officers, two of whom are
civilians who, like yourselves, volunteered at Saint David's. They are
of four or five year's standing and, as they speak the language, they
will serve with the Sepoys under one of my military officers. Another
officer, who is also an ensign, will take the command of the three
guns. The Europeans are divided into two companies. One of you will be
attached to each. The remaining officer commands both."

During the day the lads had not a moment to themselves, and were
occupied until late at night in superintending the packing of stores
and tents; and the following morning, the 26th of August, 1751, the
force marched from Madras. It consisted of two hundred of the
Company's English troops, three hundred Sepoys, and three small guns.
They were led, as has been said, by eight European officers, of whom
only Clive and another had ever heard a shot fired in action, four of
the eight being young men in the civil service, who had volunteered.

Charlie was glad to find that among the company to which he was
appointed was the detachment which had come out with him on board
ship; and the moment these heard that he was to accompany them, as
their officer, Tim Kelly pressed forward and begged that he might be
allowed to act as Charlie's servant, a request which the lad readily
complied with.

The march the first day was eighteen miles, a distance which, in such
a climate, was sufficient to try to the utmost the powers of the young
recruits. The tents were soon erected, each officer having two or
three native servants, that number being indispensable in India.
Charlie and Peters had one tent between them, which was shared by two
other officers, as the column had moved