Roberts.
I deserve it."

For Bracy had winced sharply, and a look as of one suffering mental
agony came into his eyes.

"It does not matter," he said, smiling faintly and holding out his hand,
which Drummond caught in his.

"Ain't no fear, sir," said Gedge, who was soaking the hot cloth. "The
guv'nor ain't had a touch now for a week."

"Quiet!" whispered Roberts to the man.

"He is quite right, Roberts, old fellow," sighed Bracy; "I am certainly
better. But if I could only get rid of that constant pain!"

"That must go soon," said Drummond cheerily. "I wish I could take your
agony-duty for a few hours everyday. Honour bright, I would."

"I know you would, old chap," said Bracy, smiling at him; "but I shall
beg Graves not to let you go."

"Nonsense! Don't say a word," cried Drummond. "If you do, hang me if
ever I confide in you again!"

Bracy laughed softly.

"I am pretty free from scepticism," he said; "but I can't believe that.
Now you fellows must go. The dragon will be here to start you if you
stay any longer. Serve him right, though, Roberts, to let him go on
this mad foray, for he'd get wounded, and be brought back and placed
under Dame Gee's hands."

"Oh, hang it! no; I couldn't stand that," cried the young officer; and a
few minutes later they left the room, for Drummond to begin grumbling.

"I don't care," he said. "If the Colonel gives us leave we must go.
You won't back out, will you?"

"No; for it would be the saving of some of the poor fellows. But we
shall see."

They did that very night, for, instead of the regular cool wind coming
down the upper valley, a fierce hot gust roared from the other direction
like a furnaces-blast from the plains; and at midnight down came the
most furious storm the most travelled of the officers had ever
encountered. The lightning flashed as if it were splintering the peaks
which pierced the clouds, and the peals of thunder which followed
sounded like the falling together of the shattered mountains, while
amidst the intense darkness the sentries on the walls could hear the
hiss and seething of the rain as it tore by on the rushing winds which
swept through gorge and valley.

The next morning the storm broke dark and gloomy, with the rain falling
heavily and the river rolling along thick and turbulent, while one of
the first things the sentries had to report was the fact that one of the
hostile camps--the one nearest to the fort--was being struck.