the success that had attended their advance, and the
fact that they had been the first to arrive to the rescue of the
garrison of Chitral.

A month after they reached Peshawar, Lisle was sent for by Colonel
Kelly.

"I am pleased, indeed, to be able to inform you that my urgent
recommendation of you has received attention, and that you have
been gazetted as lieutenant, dating from the day of our arrival at
Chitral. I congratulate you most heartily."

"I am indeed most delighted, sir. I certainly owe my promotion
entirely to your kindness."

"Certainly not, Lisle; you well deserve it. I am sorry to say that
you will have to leave us; for you are gazetted to the 103rd
Punjabi Regiment, who are stationed at Rawalpindi."

"I am sorry indeed to hear that, sir; though of course, I could
hardly have expected to remain with you. I shall be awfully sorry
to leave. You have all been so kind to me, and I have known you all
so long. Still, it is splendid that I have got my commission. I
might have waited three or four years, in England; and then been
spun at the examination."

Lisle marched down with the regiment to Peshawar. Here he had his
uniforms made, laid in a stock of requisites, and then, after a
hearty farewell from his friends, proceeded to join his regiment,
which was lying at Rawalpindi. He took with him Robah, whom the
major relinquished in his favour.

On his arrival at the station, he at once reported himself to the
colonel.

"Ah! I saw your name in the gazette, a short time since. You must
have lost no time in coming out from England."

"I was in India when I was gazetted, sir."

"Well, I am glad that you have joined so speedily; for I am short
of officers, at present. There is a spare tent, which my orderly
will show you. We shall have tiffin in half an hour, when I can
introduce you to the other officers."

When Lisle entered the mess tent, he was introduced to the other
officers, one of whom asked him when he had arrived from England.

"I have never been to England. I was born out here. My father was a
captain in the 32nd Punjabis, and was killed in an attack on a hill
fort. That was some months ago, and I remained with the regiment,
whose quarters had always been my home, until there should be an
opportunity for my being sent down to Calcutta."

"Well, it is very decent of the War Office to give you a
commission; though, of course, it is the right thing to do--but it
is not often that they do t