, as I hurried up, thinking that if it had
been an Englishman instead of a native, our drunken gunner would have
received a severe thrashing. I did not pause to consider any
consequences, but just watched my opportunity, and as the Englishman
struck the syce heavily with his right hand, as he held the poor fellow
with his left, I, too, delivered a stinging blow, as I ran in, right in
the gunner's ear, and then stood astonished at what I had done. For the
next moment the fellow had gone down heavily, his head striking against
a stone, and then he rolled over and lay still, with the syce standing
close by looking on.

"You've killed him, sir," said one of the man's comrades, as he went
down on one knee by his side and raised his head.

"Serve the brute right," I said passionately.

"Yes; he's pretty bad," growled the other, as he, too, bent down over
his comrade, the affair having pretty well sobered them, as it had
sobered me, too; for a chill of horror ran through me at the very
thought of the man's words being true.

"Here, you," I said roughly; "go and tell the sergeant of the guard.
What, you in trouble again, Ny Deen?"

"Yes, sahib," said the syce softly, for I had recognised Barton's groom.

He ran off quickly, and the sergeant and a couple of men came up just as
Barton was returning to his quarters.

"Hillo! what's up?" he said; "an accident?"

"No," I said shortly; "this drunken fellow was insulting our women, and
then ill-using your syce for protecting them, and I knocked him down."

"And you have done it, sir," grumbled the sergeant. "I'm afraid he
isn't going to come to."

Barton bent down over the man, who, I now saw, by a stable-lantern, was
bleeding from the head, and the chill of horror increased as the
lieutenant rose.

"Here," he said; "carry him into hospital. Be smart. You, sergeant, go
and rouse up the doctor."

"Yes, sir;" and the men hurried off.

"He'll be pleased," said Barton to me, with a cynical laugh. "He has
had nothing but cholera cases and a broken arm to see to for months.
But, I say, Don Quixote, you've put your foot in it this time."

"Enough to make me." I cried petulantly. "I can't stand by and see men
such brutes."

We stopped and saw the insensible man carried into the building used as
an infirmary, and by that time the doctor, who had been dining with
Major Lacey--Brace being of the party--came into the building, and was
followed by the above-named officer