ir help.

The bandsmen played their best as they led the way across the lovely
amphitheatre into which the gorge had opened out, towards where, high up
along the northern side, and upon the rocky bank, stood the station and
town of Ghittah. The river, which here flowed smooth and deep, seemed
as if of ruddy golden metal, as it glistened in the rays of the sun
dipping down behind the snow-mountains which shut them in. And every
now and then the cheery echoing strains of the band were pretty well
drowned by the cheers and counter-cheers of the relievers and the
relieved.

Bracy felt his breast swell with pleasure at the warmth of the welcome,
for the fraternisation was complete, the war-worn veterans seeming as if
they could not make enough of the raw striplings marching by their sides
towards where the British colours could be seen floating over the grim
castle-like place that had been the home of one of the old hill-chiefs
till the district was added to the British dominions. But look which
way he would, the young officer could see no trace of the enemy.

Birds of a feather flock together naturally, and before half a mile had
been covered a tall, thin, boyish-looking officer, with a star of merit
in the shape of a series of strips of diachylon upon his brow,
gravitated towards the rear-guard and suddenly joined their ranks,
holding out and shaking hands with the new-comers.

"How are you?" he cried. "How are you? I say, don't look at a fellow
like that. I'm an awful scarecrow, I know; but I'm Drummond--Tom
Drummond of ours."

"Oh, you look right enough," cried Bracy merrily. "Only a bit of the
polish rubbed off."

"And a bit chipped," said Roberts, laughing.

"Eh? Oh, this!" cried their new friend. "Getting better, though, now.
Doesn't improve a fellow."

"Doesn't it?" cried Bracy. "I should be proud of such an order."

"It's very good of you to say so," said the young subaltern, with his
eyes glistening.

"How did you get it?" asked Roberts.

"Oh, in a scrimmage with those treacherous beasts. They'd got me and
about a dozen of the lads in a corner among the rocks, and it was either
stand still and be cut up or make a dash with the bayonet. There were
about fifty of 'em."

"So you made a dash?"

"Yes, but only six of us got through, and all damaged. One big fellow
was nourishing a sharp tulwar, and he was in the act of cutting down one
of my fellows, and I went at him to try and save the po