on thorns until I see him."

In a few minutes the officer, a tall and stately Punjabi, entered.

"Risaldar," Lisle said, "I know you were very much attached to my
father."

"I was, sahib."

"Well, I want you to do something for me."

"It would be a pleasure for me to do so, and you have only to ask
for me to grant it, if it is in my power."

"I think it is in your power," Lisle said. "I will tell you what I
want. I have made up my mind to go with this expedition. I thought
of disguising myself, and going as a baggage coolie; but in that
case I should be always in the rear and see none of the fighting,
and I have made up my mind to go as a private in the ranks."

"As a private, sahib?" the officer exclaimed, in astonishment.
"Surely that would be impossible. You would be detected at the
first halt. Besides, how could the son of our dear captain go as a
private?"

"I do not object to go as a private, risaldar. Of course I should
stain myself and, in uniform, it is not likely that any of the
white officers would notice a strange face."

"But you would have to eat with the others, to mix with them as one
of themselves, to suffer all sorts of hardships."

"All that is nothing," Lisle said. "I have been with the regiment
so long that I know all the ways of the men, and I don't think that
I should be likely to make any mistake that would attract their
attention. As to the language, I know it perfectly."

"I hardly dare do such a thing, sahib. If you were discovered on
the march, the colonel and officers would be very angry with me."

"Even if I were discovered, it need not be known that you had
assisted me, risaldar. You may be sure that I should never tell. If
you were questioned, you could declare that you had taken me for an
ordinary recruit. If I deceived everyone else, I might very well
deceive you."

The risaldar stood thoughtful for some time.

"It might possibly be managed," he said at last. "I would do much
for Captain Bullen's son, even risk the anger of the colonel."

"I understand that a sepoy died yesterday. He was quite a young
recruit, and the white officers had not come to know his face. I
might say that I am a relation of his, and am very anxious to take
his place."

"You could take his place in the ranks under his name."

"That would certainly be a good plan, if it could be carried out. I
should only be asked a few questions by the sepoys of my company.
It would seem to them natural tha