and was able to keep up with the most seasoned marchers.

On two or three occasions Gholam Singh was able to report
favourably of his conduct, in thus relieving men of their arms. The
colonel always took these communications in the ordinary way.

"There is no doubt," he said, when the conversation turned on the
subject, "that Gholam Singh must have been an accessory to young
Bullen's plot. I have been looking up the list of the deceased
sepoys, and I find that a recruit of the same name died, two days
before we marched. In some way young Bullen, if it is really the
boy, contrived to take the dead man's place and name. This could
have been very well done, without any of us knowing. None of us
were familiar with the dead man's appearance, and Gholam Singh, and
some of the other native officers, must have arranged that he
should take his place. If this has been the case I shall, of
course, be obliged to speak sharply to the risaldar major; but in
reality I shall not be very angry with him, for he will certainly
have done young Bullen a good turn."

"I am sure it is Bullen," one of the officers said, "for when I came
up suddenly behind him, today, I heard him whistling an English tune.
Of course, it may have been played by the band when we were in camp,
but whistling is not a common Punjabi accomplishment, and I don't
know that I ever heard native boys whistle before. He stopped directly
I came up, but I could make no mistake about the tune; for I hung
behind a little, and was amused at seeing the men marching by him
trying to keep step, while they were over their knees in snow. I
caught a grin on their faces at their failure, though they looked as
grave as usual when they saw me."

"Well, we must let things go on as they are," the colonel said,
"until we get to Chitral. Then we will have him up, and get to the
bottom of the affair. If it turns out to be Bullen, he must at once
leave the ranks and join us again. I shall then have to ask for a
commission for him, and give him temporary rank as junior
lieutenant, until an answer to my recommendation arrives. Even if
it is not Bullen, it may be--unlikely as it seems--some other
Englishman; but in any case, we could not allow an Englishman to be
in the ranks."

"I don't think there is any doubt about it, colonel," the major
said. "I have had a good look at him, several times, and could
almost swear to his identity, well as he is got up."

Lisle pursued the regular cour