o offend
a powerful chief who desired to be friendly."

"But that's absurd," cried Roberts.

"Of course it is," replied Drummond. "The only way to deal with these
fellows is to make 'em afraid of you, for they're as treacherous as they
are proud. But there, it's all right."

"All right, when the senior Colonel here temporises with the enemy!"

"It was only one of his weak moments. He won't do anything of that
kind. He'll talk it over with your old man and think better of it.
Besides, we shouldn't let him."

"Oh, come, that's a comfort," said Roberts, glancing at Bracy, with a
twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, I see," said Drummond, "you're chaffing because I bounced a bit;
but I'm blessed if you don't have to bounce up here in the mountains if
you want to hold your own. I should be nowhere amongst these
hill-niggers if I didn't act as if I thought I was the biggest pot under
the sun. That's one reason why I was so anxious about my boots. Why,
if it hadn't been for you two I couldn't have shown my face before that
party this morning. I wouldn't have had them see me with my feet
bandaged up like they were for anything. It would have been lowering
the dignity of Her Majesty's service in the eyes of the heathen."

"Of course," said Bracy, smiling; "but never mind that. You don't
believe in these fellows, then?"

"Oh yes, I do."

"But just now you said--"

"What I say now, that they're a set of impostors, pretending to be
friendly so as to see what your regiment was like and how the defences
looked."

"There, Roberts!"

"All right, dear boy. Well, when they come again we must show them our
boy-regiment, and how they've improved with the excellent practice we
can make in firing."

"That's the way," said Drummond cheerily. "They'll soon come again with
two or three other tribes, for they've all made up their minds to have
us out of this old fort, palace, or whatever they call it."

"And we shan't go--eh?" said Bracy, with a quaint look in his eyes.

"Most decidedly not," replied Drummond. "Now then, you're not on duty.
Come and have a look round. Hullo! this is your doctor, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Bracy.

"Don't like the cut of him," said Drummond. "He's doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Same as he did first time we met--last night at the mess--looking me up
and down as if thinking about the time when he'll have me to cut up and
mend."

"Well, my dear boys," said the Doctor, coming up, rubbin