ose
behind me and took hold of the lapel of my jacket as he whispered
softly--

"Oh, sahib!"

"Well," cried Brace, after a few explanations, "how is the major? how
did you get on?"

"Our friend Dost took me safely there, and I stayed with the poor fellow
for hours. He is terribly cut about, but far better than I expected,
and I believe that those women will nurse him round."

"Thank God!" said Brace, earnestly; "and I hope we shall be able to give
him comfort before long by our news."

"I hope so," said the doctor, bluntly. "You are not upset, then, by
your night's experience? You mean to go on?"

"I mean to go on. Yes, doctor, at once. But about you and the major?"

"I am sorry to say that the poor fellow must take his chance now. Dost
was of opinion that we could not get in and out again safely, and I did
not need to be told. We had a very narrow escape of being made
prisoners."

"But, Lacey, the nursing?"

"He has that, and there is no disease, my dear boy. Those two women
will do all that I could. It is only a question of seeing to his
bandages, and cleanliness. I could say I'll go and stay with him; but
if I did, the chances are that I should not get there; and if I did, I
make the risk of his being murdered ten times greater. On the other
hand, you and the lads here will want my help. My duty is with you."

Dost was consulted, and said warmly that it was impossible to get back
into the city, and that two foot regiments and one of cavalry had
marched into and occupied the place.

"And their English officers?" said Brace, excitedly.

"Don't ask me, sahib," said Dost, sadly. "It is too terrible; the
people have gone mad against our masters, and the fire is spreading
through the land."

The peculiarly stern look in Brace's countenance deepened as my Hindu
servant went on.

"If the doctor sahib tried to get into the city again, he would be
taken, and the budmashes of the bazaar would murder him. Lacey sahib
will be quite safe and get well. We must not go again; it means death."

"There," said the doctor, "and I'm too busy to die yet, Brace; but pray
go on eating and drinking, my dear boys; you must both be horridly
faint. I prescribe food and rest."

"Right, doctor; we'll take your first remedy. But there is no rest. We
start in an hour or less. We must make a short march before the sun
gets too hot."

"You mean to keep to that mad idea of yours, then, about recapturing the
gu