l from his hand, as his eye fell upon
Lisle.

"I am not a ghost," Lisle laughed, "but am very much alive.

"I am glad to see you again, Wilkins," and he passed in at the
door.

"Is the general engaged?" he asked the orderly who, like the
soldier at the door, stood gazing at him stupidly.

"No, sir," the man gasped.

"Then I will go in unannounced."

General Lockhart looked up from the papers he was reading, and gave
a sudden start.

"I have come to report myself ready for duty, sir," Lisle said,
with a smile.

"Good heavens! Mr. Bullen, you have given me quite a turn! We had
all regarded your death as certain; and your name appeared in the
list of casualties, five months ago.

"I am truly glad to see you again," and he heartily shook Lisle's
hand. "There is another in here who will be glad to see you."

He opened the door, and said:

"Colonel Houghton, will you step in here, for a moment?"

As the colonel entered the room, and his eye fell upon Lisle, he
stood as if suddenly paralysed. The blood rushed from his cheeks.

"I am glad to see that you have recovered from your wound, sir,"
Lisle said.

The blood surged back into the colonel's face. He strode forward
and, grasping both Lisle's hands in his own, said in broken
accents:

"So it is really you, alive and well! This is indeed a load off my
mind. I have always blamed myself for saving my life at the expense
of your own. It would have embittered my life to the end of my
days.

"And you are really alive! I thank God for it. I tried in vain to
check my horse, but it got the bit between its teeth and, with my
wounded leg, I had no power to turn him. As I rode, I pictured to
myself your last defence; how you died fighting.

"How has this all come about?" and he looked at the general, as if
expecting an answer.

"I know no more than yourself, Houghton. He had but just entered
when I called you in."

"Now, Mr. Bullen, let us hear how it happened."

"It was very simple, sir. The Afridis were but twenty paces away,
when I started the colonel's horse. I saw that fighting would be
hopeless, so threw down my sword and pistol. I should have been cut
up at once, had not their chief shouted to them to leave me alone,
and to fire after Colonel Houghton. This they did and, I was happy
to see, without success."

"Then the chief sent me off, under the guard of four men, to his
village; with the intention, as I afterwards heard, of holding me
as a hostag