I fear that, although you would get every credit for your doings,
the authorities would consider that it did not come under the head
of deeds for which the Victoria Cross is given."

"I am sure I have no desire for another V.C., even if two could be
given."

No attack was made on the following day, and it was evident that
the Ashantis had taken to heart the lesson that had been given
them. Two days later the column marched into the fort, and Colonel
Willcocks went out to meet it.

The colonel's reports had been sent in by a runner. As the Sikhs
came along, the colonel ordered them to halt and, as Lisle marched
up at the head of his company, he made a sign to him to come up.

"Captain Bullen," he said, "I have much pleasure in congratulating
you on the manner in which you saved the life of the Sikh soldier,
who volunteered to swim that river in flood in order to carry a
wire across; and still more for the manner in which you made what I
should say was a record march, in this country, to bring in a man
who had been wounded, in a fight with a small party of the enemy."

Then he turned to the Sikhs.

"Soldiers," he said, "I cannot praise you too heartily for having
volunteered, at the end of a long and exhausting march, to
undertake another still longer and more fatiguing, in order to
bring in a wounded comrade. It is an act of which you may be proud;
but not altogether a surprising one, for we know well that we can
depend upon the Sikhs, on all and every occasion."

Lisle had been carried into the fort. His feet were so tender and
swollen that he could not possibly walk farther, and he was
consequently taken down by the carriers, during the last two days'
march. Hallett sauntered up, as soon as he was put into a hospital
hut.

"Hillo, Bullen, so you have broken down! A nice example to set to
your Hausas, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," Lisle laughed; "but the Hausas did not march as
far as I did."

"No? What were you doing? Scouting half a mile ahead of them, on
your own account?"

"Not exactly; I only went the width of a river, and yet, the result
of that was that I had to do an extra march of some twenty miles."

"Now you are speaking in riddles, Lisle; and if there is one thing
I hate, it is riddles. When a fellow begins to talk in that way, I
always change the subject. Why a man should try to puzzle his
brain, with such rigmarole things, is more than I can imagine."

"Well, Hallett, I really feel too