"

"I am afraid that that is so, sir. The only really sincere and
honest man that I have met, bent upon serving his country, was Nana
Furnuwees and, in consequence, he was equally hated by the Peishwa,
Scindia, and Holkar. I was certainly extremely well treated by the
Rajah of Bhurtpoor; but this was, no doubt, largely due to the fact
that he thought that, if matters went against him, his courtesy to
me would tell in his favour, while ill treatment or murder would
have put him beyond the pale of forgiveness."

"Your application comes at a fortunate moment, for I am sending a
regiment of Bombay cavalry back to their presidency, and it will be
well that you should travel with it through Jaipore and Ajmeer to Surat,
and so on to Bombay, which will save you a long journey--unless, indeed,
you wish to travel by way of the Ganges."

"I would much rather go to Bombay, sir. I wish to visit the good
people who brought me up. I will ask you to allow Havildar Abdool
to go with me. I don't know whether he will wish to take his
discharge, but I should think he would do so and, as he belongs
properly to the Bombay army, and is indeed a Mahratta, I am sure
that he would prefer to settle there."

"I will certainly do that, and will see that the services he has
rendered are mentioned in his discharge; and I will, myself, write
to the Government of Bombay, saying that I had intended to grant
him a small holding, as a reward for his fidelity; and asking that
this may be bestowed upon him, either in the Concan, or in some of
the territory that we have become possessed of above the Ghauts."

Abdool was greatly moved, when Harry told him that he had applied
for and obtained leave.

"You will take me with you, master, I hope?"

"I think, Abdool, that you would do better to remain in your own
country. You would feel very strange in England, among people none
of whom speak your language. You would also feel the cold,
greatly."

"I would rather go with you, sahib. Were I to go back to my native
village, I should find myself among strangers, for I have now been
nearly fifteen years away; and what should I do without
employment?"

"Well, we will think it over, Abdool. Lord Lake kindly offered to
write a letter in your favour to the Government of Bombay, asking
them to give you the charge of a village district, which would keep
you in comfort."

"I should not be comfortable if I were not with you, sahib."

"Well, Abdool, we are goin