ral Lake?"

He was at once shown in. Colonel Burns, the commander of the
garrison, was with the Resident. Neither was surprised that the
messenger should be a native, for they knew the difficulties a
British officer would encounter in travelling from Agra.

"I have ridden with a despatch for you, Colonel, from General Lake.
I am Captain Lindsay, and have the honour of serving on the
general's staff."

"I am glad to see you, sir," Ochterlony said, kindly. "Your name is
pretty well known, to all of us, as that of an officer who has
successfully carried out several dangerous enterprises; and this
cannot have been one of the most dangerous of them, for indeed, in
that disguise I do not think that anyone would entertain the
slightest suspicion that you are not what you appear to be.

"I am told you speak Mahratta perfectly."

"I was brought up among the Mahrattas, sir. I have got through
easily, and only once came upon a body of Holkar's cavalry."

"You have just arrived, Captain Lindsay?"

"Yes, not ten minutes ago."

The colonel rang the bell, and directed a servant who came in to
bring in wine and refreshments. He then opened the despatches
which, after reading, he passed across to Colonel Burns.

"Of course, we have heard reports of the disaster to Monson's
force. Was it as serious as they say?"

"It was very serious, sir. I was with them, and they suffered
terribly. They lost their guns and baggage, and at least a third of
their infantry."

"It is unfortunate, very unfortunate, Captain Lindsay. We have had
so many victories, of late, that the natives must have almost
concluded that we were invincible; but this check will encourage
them, and will doubtless bring many waverers over to their side."

"I don't think that it was, in any way, Colonel Monson's fault. His
column was to join that of Colonel Murray--who, however, doubtless
learning the great strength Holkar had with him, fell back--and
with only five battalions of Sepoys, and a dozen guns, it was
practically impossible that Monson could, single handed, resist the
attack of ninety thousand men. If he had had with him a couple of
British battalions, and a regiment or two of our cavalry, he might
have held the passes but, alone, it did not seem to me possible
that he could do so; especially when the enemy's cavalry could have
crossed the hills at other points, and taken them in the rear. Even
if he had resisted all attacks, he must have been starved o