way respectfully, I heard what
was evidently the final blow, and the words, "Now get out."

Directly after, a tall native in white came out, with his face convulsed
and the blood streaming down one cheek from a cut on the left temple,
and staining his white cotton garment; but as he came upon me, his
countenance suddenly grew unnaturally calm, and he drew up on one side
and saluted, as if nothing was the matter, though I could see that he
was trembling like a leaf.

Discipline had already taught me that I had no right to interfere with
the actions of my superior officers, but human nature had made me
already resent the way in which overbearing Englishmen bullied and
ill-used the patient, long-suffering natives; and as I had heard the
sounds of abuse and blows coming across the compound, a curious
sensation of shame and annoyance made me feel hot and uncomfortable; and
now as I came suddenly face to face with the good-looking, dark-faced
man, with his bleeding temple, I hurriedly drew out a clean white
handkerchief, doubled it into a bandage, and signing to the man to bend
down, tied it tightly, bandage fashion, over what was a very severe cut.

The man shrank from me for a moment, as if my action repelled him, but
the next he had crossed his hands humbly over his breast, and bent
forward.

The act on my part was very quickly done, and then he raised his head,
and his eyes met mine with a look that I could not read, but I could see
that his lips were quivering, and the side of his head left uncovered
was full of lines.

The next moment I had remembered that I was an officer, and drew myself
up stiffly.

"Is Lieutenant Barton in his rooms?" I said, in what I meant to be
sharp, authoritative tones.

"Yes; what do you want?" came out through the window; and I stepped
forward, catching one peculiar look from the injured man again, and
noticing that the other syces salaamed to me as I passed out of the
glare of sunshine, into the comparative darkness of a mat-hung passage,
and from thence into a comfortable room well-furnished with cane chairs,
gay Indian rugs, and curtains, and with a light table, on which stood a
cigar-box, a bottle or two, and glasses. Between them lay a stout,
silver-topped malacca cane, evidently the instrument with which the
native groom had been chastised.

But the principal object in the room was a fair-haired,
supercilious-looking young man of seven or eight and twenty, in the
lightest o