o myself, `Wait a bit, old man; he'll soon come round.'"

"Thank you, Sergeant; thank you," said Denham, holding out his hand,
which Briggs grasped, shook warmly, then turned to me to go through the
same business; he did so hotly, for my hand felt crushed, and I vainly
tried to respond as heartily, while the tears of pain rose in my eyes,
but did not dim them so much that I could not see my torturer's eyes
were also moist.

"Well, what are you looking at?" he growled. "I say, don't squeeze a
man's hand like that. Why, you've made my eyes water, lad. Look,
they're quite wet. Phew! You did squeeze."

"It's because he has so much vice in him, Briggs," said Denham, smiling.

"That's it, Mr Denham. Well, we must wait, for there's nothing to be
done but send one or two smart fellows to creep through the enemy's
ranks in the night, on foot. You can't get horsemen through."

"You mean, send for help from the nearest British force?" said Denham.

"That's it, sir--some one to tell the officer in command that we shall
soon be on our last legs here; but if he'll como on and attack them in
the rear, we'll be out and at 'em as soon as we hear the shooting; and
if we didn't polish off the Doppies then, why, we should deserve to
lose."

"Briggs," said Denham warmly, "of course that's the plan. You ought to
have been in command of the corps yourself."

"Ah! now your head's getting a bit the better of you again, sir,"
replied the Sergeant, "or you wouldn't talk like that. What I say's
only second-hand. That's the chief's plan."

"Then why doesn't he carry it out?" I said indignantly.

"You hold your tongue," growled the Sergeant. "You're only a recruit
yet, and your head's getting the better of you too.--Yes, Mr Denham,
that's the Colonel's own plan, and he's tried it every night for the
last twelve nights."

"What!" I cried.

"Yes, my lad; called quietly for volunteers, and sent out twelve of our
lads; but so far there don't seem to be one that has got through, and
the game gets expensive. There, I must go down again now and get to
duty. I saw you two coming up while I was going through the exercise,
and I'm very glad to see you both looking so much better.--Well, Joe
Black," he said as he turned away, "how's Mr Moray's horse?"

"Um? Coat shine beautiful," said Joeboy.

"And enough to make it, my lad, seeing the way you rub him down."

"Denham," I said that night as we lay wakefully gazing up at the star