nd tell us how
it was that you escaped from being cut to mince-meat."

Lisle again went through the story.

"Why did you not return at once, when the chief who captured you
said that you were his guest? Was there not some fair young Afridi,
who held you in her chains?"

Lisle laughed.

"I can assure you that it was no feminine attractions that kept me.
There were some fifteen or twenty girls and, like everyone else,
they were very kind to me but, so far as I was able to judge, not
one of them was prettier, or I should rather say less ugly, than
the rest; although several of them had very good features, and were
doubtless considered lovely by the men. Certainly there was none
whom an Englishman would look at twice.

"Poor things, most of the work of the village is left to them. They
went out to cut grass, fed the cattle, gathered firewood, and
ground the corn; and I have no doubt that they are now all occupied
with the work of tilling the little patches of fertile ground
beyond the village.

"Besides, ladies, you must remember that I have a vivid
recollection of you all; which would, alone, have guarded me
against falling in love with any dusky maiden."

"I rather doubt your word, Mr. Bullen," the colonel's wife said;
"you were always very ready to make yourself pleasant, and do our
errands, and to make yourself generally useful and agreeable; but I
do not remember that you ever ventured upon making a compliment
before. You must have learnt the art somehow."

The lady laughed.

"I could hardly help comparing you with the women round me, but I
really had a vivid remembrance of your kindness to me."

"In future, Mr. Bullen, we shall consider you as discharged from
all duty. We have heard of other gallant deeds that you have done;
and henceforth shall regard you, with a real respect, as an officer
who has brought great credit upon the regiment. I am sure that,
henceforth, you will lose your old nickname of 'the boy,' and be
regarded as a hero."

"I hope not," Lisle said; "it has been very pleasant to be regarded
as a boy, and therefore to act as a sort of general fag to you. I
hope you will continue to regard me as so. I have always considered
it a privilege to be able to make myself useful to you, and I
should be very sorry to lose it.

"I can assure you that I still feel as a boy. I know nothing of the
world; have passed my whole time, as far back as I can remember, in
camp; and have thoroughly enjoyed m