ars charging us as we tore on at a frantic gallop, the
guns now in echelon, leaping and bounding over the ground, the men on
the limbers, sword in hand, holding on with the other, and every driver
of the three to each gun holding his sabre at the charge.

One moment it must have seemed to the leaders of the native regiment
that they had an easy capture, their line overlapping ours by far on
either wing; the next, that an English horse artillery troop is no
plaything, for there was a tremendous collision, horses and men went
down headlong, and our troop swept on, their echelon formation causing
shock after shock, as the tremendous momentum of the six horses of each
gun was too great to be withstood by the light-armed sowars, and the
guns were saved.

I was conscious of a sharp volley, then of another and another, as we
galloped on, the man beside me sinking lower and lower over his horse's
neck; then, in what was to me like a nightmare, I saw him drop headlong
from his horse, and had a glimpse of his face as his helmet fell off.

Then, growing more and more composed, I wondered why the English
regiment should be firing volleys at us, their friends; and all this
time the blinding perspiration seemed to be pouring from my head, and I
was not seeing clearly. Then, raising my empty right hand, I swept it
across my eyes, and as I did so grasped the fact that my sword was
hanging by its knot from my wrist, as I saw clearly for a moment that I
was alone, and yet not alone, for fierce-looking men in their white garb
were galloping by me.

Then I knew that in the dashing charge I had been separated from my
troop; that I was bleeding horribly from a wound; and one thought came
like lightning across my brain--no; two thoughts, and they were these.

"It is all over; but have I done my duty like a man?"

The next minute a sowar turned and made a cut at me; but his blow fell
upon steel, which flashed. Something else glittered and flashed too,
and a fierce voice roared an order in Hindustani as we tore on, with a
nervous hand grasping my arm, just as it suddenly seemed to turn to
night, and I knew no more.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

I felt that if whoever it was would only have left me alone, I would not
have cared; but to be bothered like that, when I was so sleepy, and when
I had been so hard at work all day, and done my rounds at night, was too
bad.

Yes; I knew it was after sunrise, and that in an ordinary way I ought