say."

"I was expecting you," the colonel said, "for Mr. Malet came in
this morning and told me about you; saying that you would most
likely come either today or tomorrow. I will have a tent pitched
for you, this afternoon; and a soldier told off as your servant. Of
course, at first you will have to go through the somewhat
unpleasant task of learning your drill.

"From what Mr. Malet told me, I think you are not likely to be much
with us as, from your perfect knowledge of Mahratti, and of the
country, you can do better service in a staff appointment than with
the regiment.

"You are much fairer than they had given me to expect."

"I have been hard at work, for the last two days, in getting rid of
the dyes with which I have been coloured, ever since I was an
infant."

"Ah! You are not very noticeably darker, now, than other officers
in the regiment.

"Now, I will hand you over to the adjutant. You will, of course,
mess with us today; and I can then introduce you to your brother
officers."

The adjutant was sent for, and soon entered.

"Mr. Lewis," the colonel said, "this is Mr. Lindsay, who was
gazetted to us two days ago. He will be very useful to us, if we go
up to Poona again--of which there is always a possibility--for he
speaks Mahratti like a native, having lived among the people since
he was an infant. He is the son of Major Lindsay, who was killed
here at the time of the advance on Poona."

"You will be a great acquisition to us," the adjutant said, as he
left the tent with Harry. "Most of us speak a little Mahratti; but
it will be very useful to have one of us who is perfect, in that
way. Of course, you have not got your full kit yet; but you will
want a mess jacket and waistcoat. These I can lend you, till you
get your own made."

"They are ordered already, and I am to get them in a couple of
days. It was so much more important that I should get the undress
uniform, to enable me to begin work, that I did not press the
tailor quite so much as to the other clothes."

"Are you ready to begin work, at once?"

"The sooner the better," Harry replied.

"Then I shall hand you over to the native officer, who has charge
of the drilling of recruits. There is a small yard, behind the
barracks, where Europeans are instructed in the first stages. To
see them doing the goose step would not add to the respect the
soldiers have for their white officers. They are therefore taught
such matters in private so th