ightened the poor fellows up
out yonder, singing and telling stories and playing some of his
india-rubber games, bad as his own wounds are. I believe he'd pretend
to laugh even if he were dying."

"I can never be grateful enough to him," sighed Bracy.

"Oh yes, you can. We must all petition for him to get his stripes as
soon as we can, only it will make old Gee mad with jealousy."

"Yes," said Bracy thoughtfully; and then: "How long have I been lying
here?"

"Three weeks, old man."

"And you are no further with the Dwats?"

"Not a bit. That thrashing we gave them together when you went down
ought to have settled 'em and made 'em sue for peace; but they began
sniping at us the very next day."

"It seems to be their nature to be always fighting," sighed Bracy.

"Yes. I don't believe they could live without it. They must fight
something or somebody, and regularly enjoy a good skirmish."

"You haven't said anything about Colonel Wrayford the last day or two."

"No, poor fellow! he's in a very low state. Between ourselves, boy, we
only came just, in time."

"What, do you mean?"

"To save Ghittah. Those fellows would have done their best; but they
would have been overmatched, and without their Colonel they'd have given
way at last, and the people at home would have been reading of a
terrible reverse in the Dwat district. Massacre of the British force."

"Not so bad as that surely."

"I don't know. Poor Wrayford had worked till he was utterly exhausted,
body and mind, and as soon as Graves began to relieve him of part of the
strain it was just as if something snapped, and he curled up at once.
Morton says it was all from overstrain after his wound, and that he'll
want a twelvemonth at home to get back his strength."

"I beg pardon, sir," said a hard, acid voice; "it is quite time Mr
Bracy had his lunch."

Roberts turned quickly upon the stern, frowning, youngish woman who had
entered silently in a pair of home-made list slippers, and stood in the
doorway gazing at him fixedly.

"That's right, Mrs Gee," said Roberts; "bring it in, and feed him up
well, for he wants it, poor fellow!"

"Mr Bracy has everything, sir," said the woman coldly, "and given him
to the minute when there's no one here."

"Oh, I'm nobody," said Roberts good-humouredly.

"No, sir."

"Eh? Oh, all right; bring in his lunch.--Hang the woman! I didn't mean
that," he said to himself.

"No, sir; not while you are here," rep