y wish to go?" I replied. "I do not understand you."

"I say, why wish to go and compete with hundreds of others who would not
understand you, and any one of whom might carry off the prize--when you
can stay with me?"

"Stay with you! What for?" I faltered.

"I will make you a general, now--at once," he said excitedly, "and ten
thousand men shall bend down before their Moslem rajah's friend, who,
from this time forward, will lead and direct my artillery."

"Rajah!" I exclaimed, surprised but not surprised, for I had half
expected some such proposal, but of course only in a very minor form.

"Look here, Vincent," he continued, bending forward, and speaking
excitedly. "When I came to your barracks as a humble syce, it was to
learn everything about your guns, and the way in which the horse
artillery was trained. In those days, beaten, kicked, trampled upon, I
always had you in my mind, and I watched you, how quick, how clever, and
how brave you were. My heart warmed to you even then; but as I have
grown to know you better and seen what you are in the field in action
with your men, I have said again and again that there could be no one
better for my trusted friend and general."

I laughed, though a curious feeling came over me that the man who would
make me such a proposal must be mad.

"Why do you laugh?" he said. "Are you pleased at what I propose?"

"Pleased? No," I said frankly. "You are laughing at me--making fun of
me."

He frowned.

"Is it so trifling a thing, that I should laugh over it?"

"No, it is not a trifling matter; but it seems to be trifling with me to
propose such a thing. You cannot be in earnest."

"I am in earnest, and it is wise," he said sternly.

"But it is an appointment for an old, experienced man, and I suppose
that I am a mere boy."

"The great Company thought you old enough to take charge of their guns,"
he said gravely.

"Yes, but with older officers over me."

"Well; I shall be over you; but you will have full charge of all my
cannons. You understand them thoroughly."

"Of course I know a little about them."

"Little!" he cried. "It is magnificent. Have I not seen you often?
Did I not see you carry them off after I had captured them, and was
training my men? but slowly--oh, so slowly."

"You forget that I was only a junior officer acting under my captain's
orders. It is nonsense, and you are saying all this to make me vain, to
flatter me."

"I never st