will give out before he reaches this
out-of-the-way place."

"I think not, papa."

"Of course not, of course not; I just told you that that is the way
with all foolish girls like you."

The old gentleman had assumed a stern earnestness, and he added: "I
tell you he will never show himself here! I know what I'm talking
about."

"But he _is_ here, papa; let me introduce you to Jack Everson, a
physician like yourself."

All this time the smiling young man was standing directly behind the
old doctor, who was lazily reclining in a hammock on the shaded lawn,
smoking a cheroot, while his daughter sat on a camp stool, with one
hand resting on the edge of the hammock, so as to permit her gently to
sway it back and forth. As she spoke the tall, muscular American
walked forward and extended his hand.

"Doctor, I am glad to make your acquaintance," he said, in his cheery
way. The astonished physician came to an upright position like the
clicking of the blade of a jackknife, and meeting the salutation,
exclaimed:

"Well, I'll be hanged! I never knew a girl so full of nonsense and
tricks as Mary. You are welcome, doctor, to my house; let me have a
look at you!"

Jack Everson laughingly stepped hack a couple of paces and posed for
inspection. The elder deliberately drew his spectacle case from his
pocket, adjusted the glasses and coolly scrutinized the young man from
head to foot.

"You'll do," he quietly remarked, removing his glasses and returning
them to the morocco case; "now, if you'll be good enough to seat
yourself, we'll talk over matters until dinner time. When did you
arrive?"

Jack seated himself on the remaining camp stool, a few paces from the
happy young lady, accepted a cheroot from his host, and the
conversation became general. Like most Americans, when at home or
travelling, Jack Everson kept his eyes and ears open. He heard at
Calcutta, his starting point, at Benares, Allahabad, Cawnpore and other
places, the whisperings of the uprising that was soon to come, and his
alarm increased as he penetrated the country.

"Worse than all," he said gravely, speaking of his trip, "one of my
bearers spoke English well, and quite an intimacy sprang up between us.
Since his companions could not utter a word in our language, we
conversed freely without being understood. He was reticent at first
concerning the impending danger and professed to know nothing of it,
but this forenoon be gave me to understand