south. Now, if we
could send a message on to Miapore."

I turned round soon afterwards, and found that the weary, footsore party
were tramping back with us, close to the elephants, apparently trusting
in Brace's power to protect them, and restore peace in the place that
had been their home.

Dost came alongside soon after to tell me more of these people's
experience, for they had all been servants to the European residents at
Arbagh. It was a terrible experience, but very similar to our own at
Rajgunge. The English residents and officers had been in utter
ignorance of the impending peril. They had heard rumours of troubles in
connection with cartridges being issued to the men greased, so that they
might pass more easily down the rifle barrels, the Mahommedan soldiers
considering that they would be defiled by touching paper moistened with
the fat of the pig; and the Hindus, jumping at the conclusion that the
fat used was that of the cow--an animal held sacred in their religion;
while, in all probability, the fat used would be prepared from neither
of these animals, the whole being an excuse for the irruption in which
Mahommedans and Brahmins made common cause.

"It has all been hatching for a long time, sahib," Dost said to me; "and
the men have been waiting for an excuse. You English officers and
gentlemen have known nothing; but the sepoys and sowars have been
prepared."

"And you knew this?" I said sternly.

"I? No, sahib; not till after the men broke out. The soldiers had
their message sent round to be prepared to rise, and slay every white
man, woman, and child, to destroy all Nazarenes, and restore the great
king again at Delhi."

"At Delhi?" I said. "Then there are troubles there too?"

"There are troubles all through the country by now, sahib. Of course
they did not trust us, who were our lord's servants, and not fighting
men. They said to themselves, these men have blood now like water; they
live amongst the white people, and have defiled themselves by eating
their food and drinking out of their vessels--they will go and betray us
to their lords. We know nothing, sahib; but they, the men of the native
regiments, had the lotus flower sent round to them."

"The lotus flower?" I said, wonderingly.

"Yes, sahib. It was a secret way of communication. A man came to a
regiment bearing a lotus flower, and this was passed on from man to man
right through the regiment, till the last had the blos