a moistened finger
beneath my nostrils, and then touched the neck of a bottle which he
turned upside down, and proceeded to moisten my temples, while a
peculiar cool pungent odour filled the tent.

"Better?" he said.

"Yes," I said dreamily; and then as I realised what had passed--"Did I
faint?"

He bowed gravely.

"It was natural, sahib. I hurt you very greatly; but the wound looks
well. Ah, your colour is coming back to your lips."

"Thank you," I said feebly. "I am sorry I was so cowardly. Now ask
Captain Brace to come."

He shook his head.

"Well, then, Mr Haynes."

He shook his head again.

"They are far away," he said.

"Then what place is this? a hospital?"

He shook his head again.

"I am only the doctor," he said, with a smile. "My duty is to dress
your wounds, and it is done."

"But tell me this--the fight yesterday?"

"I cannot," he replied. "There was no fight yesterday."

"Nonsense! There was; and I remember now coming off my horse. I
thought it was some one else; but I recall it now."

"The sahib talks too much," said the grave, patient-looking doctor.

"I will hold my tongue directly," I cried; "but tell me this--were you
at the fight?"

"Oh no; I was far away, and the rajah summoned me here to attend on
you."

"Rajah? What rajah?"

"His highness, my master."

"What!" I cried excitedly. "Then I am a prisoner?"

"Yes, sahib. You were cut down in the battle a week ago."

A low expiration of the breath, which sounded like a sigh, was the only
sound I uttered as I lay back, weak, faint, utterly astounded by the
news. A prisoner--cut down a week ago. Then the troop; where was the
troop? If I was made a prisoner, had the guns been taken?

A cold chill of despair ran through me as those crushing thoughts
occurred, and in imagination I saw our men surrounded and slaughtered,
perhaps mutilated, the guns taken, and the fight of that day a
tremendous victory for the enemy.

But after a time a better way of thinking came over me when I was alone;
for, after a grave smile, the doctor had bowed and left the tent.

It was a daring, desperate charge I felt, but the only thing Brace could
do under the circumstances; and he must have cut his way through. He
could not turn and retreat, for it would have looked like being afraid
of the sowars; and surely, I thought, it was not in them to overcome our
brave little troop even if they were ten times the number.

Then, as I l