felt very sick and giddy. "I say, Vincent, my
lad, you will have to send the accoutrement-maker a testimonial. Here's
a tremendous dint in your helmet, but it has saved your life."

"Then he isn't killed, sir?" cried a familiar voice.

"No, my lad; only a bit stunned," said the doctor.

"Hooray!" rose in a tremendous cheer, in which every man in the troop
seemed to join.

"Nice to be a favourite," I heard Haynes say.

"But, look here," I cried in an irritated way, "I don't quite understand
it. My head's all--I--Why, some one must have knocked me down. Did I
pitch on to my helmet, then?"

"My dear boy, you were struck down by a sowar, and your helmet saved
your life."

"The savage brute!" I cried pettishly. "It couldn't have been the one
who rode at you, because--Yes, I remember. Then the man who rode at me
got off free."

"Humph!" ejaculated the doctor, turning round and looking off to our
right.

I followed his eyes, and saw a white figure lying face downward among
some green corn.

"Yes," said the doctor, "that is he; and you may thank Haynes for saving
your life."

"Oh, nonsense!" cried my brother-officer hastily. "We can't be talking
about that sort of thing; it's nonsense. I only did what any one else
would have done. Steady there, my lads. Silence in the ranks."

The word was given to advance directly after, and in a few minutes there
was a burst of cheers from on in front, where a skirmishing party of
Captain Mason's regiment had come upon our advance-guard.

This was answered by our troop, and directly after the officers were
eagerly talking together as we marched into the outskirts of the little
town, and soon after were congratulating ourselves on the excellent
quarters we had found, the foot regiment being most eager in showing us
where we could obtain provisions, and the necessaries for a restful
night.

About an hour after, when the sentinels and outposts had been visited,
and the round made of the horses, I was one of a party in one of the
ruined rooms of the residency, where the officers were debating what
steps should be taken at daylight the next morning, and matters were
still in doubt as to whether we should march east or west when a
prisoner was brought in. This was a shivering non-combatant, who
eagerly gave every information he knew about the movements of the
rebels, and was able to inform us, by way of buying his own life, as he
thought, that the sowars were going to