oon as she received a letter from him, announcing his arrival in
England. His uncle's place was a quiet parsonage in Somersetshire,
and the rest and quiet did him an immense deal of good.

At the end of three months' stay there, he left to see something of
London and England, and travelled about for some months.

When the year was nearly up, and he was making his preparations to
return to India, he received a summons to attend at the War Office.
Wondering greatly what its purport could be, he called upon the
adjutant general.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Bullen?" the latter asked.

"Perfectly well, sir, as well as I ever felt in my life."

"We are sending a few officers to aid Colonel Willcocks in
effecting the relief of the party now besieged in Coomassie. Your
record is an excellent one and, if you are willing and able to go,
we shall be glad to include you in the number."

"I should like it very much. There is no chance, whatever, of
active service in India; and I should be glad, indeed, to be at the
front again, in different circumstances."

"Very well, Mr. Bullen, then you will sail on Tuesday next, in the
steamer that leaves Liverpool on that day. You will have the local
rank of captain, and will be in command of a company of Hausas."

Lisle had but a few preparations to make. He ordered, at once, a
khaki uniform and pith helmet, and a supply of light shirts and
underclothing. Then he ran down to Somersetshire to say goodbye to
his uncle and aunt, and arrived in Liverpool on the Monday evening.
Sleeping at the hotel at the station, he went on board the next
morning.

Here he found half a dozen other officers, also bound for the west
coast of Africa, and soon got on friendly terms with them. He was,
of course, obliged to tell how he had won the Victoria Cross; a
recital which greatly raised him in their estimation.

They had fine weather throughout the voyage; and were glad, indeed,
when the steamer anchored off Cape Coast. Although looking forward
to their arrival at Cape Coast, the officers were not in their
highest spirits. All of them had applied for service in South
Africa, where the war was now raging but, to their disappointment,
had been sent on this minor expedition. At any other time, they
would have been delighted at the opportunity of taking part in it;
but now, with a great war going on, it seemed to them a very petty
affair, indeed.

They cheered themselves, however, by the assumption that