st hope that he will not make the
attempt."

Captain Hawkesford after this became still more overbearing, and almost
insulting in his conduct, yet he so far kept within bounds that Reginald
could not, even had he wished it, under the circumstances in which they
were placed, have found a valid reason for quarrelling with him.

Though Reginald, of necessity, assumed the character of a chief among
the natives, he did duty with the English officers,--visiting the
outposts and sentries whenever his turn came. The strictest watch was
kept, for their position was well known at Allahapoor, and it was more
than probable that an expedition from that city would set out to attack
them.

Reginald was one night going his rounds, the moon shining brightly, when
he approached one of the English sentries at an outpost. He stopped for
a moment to observe the soldierlike appearance of the man, who stood,
musket in hand, silent and rigid as a statue. He was about to speak,
when his eye fell on a crouching form stealing along amid the tall
grass, which completely concealed it from the soldier. It was a tiger;
and the creature seemed about to spring on the sentinel. Reginald drew
a pistol from his belt, and was on the point of cocking it, at the same
time shouting out to the sentry to be on his guard,--when the animal,
instead of springing at the man, came bounding towards himself, uttering
a purring sound very unlike the usual roar of a tiger. The next instant
he recognised Faithful, who had only just then discovered him. He had
just time to shout to the sentry--who was bringing his piece to his
shoulder--to stop him from firing, or in another instant Faithful would
probably have been shot through the body. She purred and fawned on her
master, and took every means of showing her delight at having again met
him, though he could not help suspecting that she had approached the
sentry with no very peaceful intentions. As he stroked her head and
neck, his hand came in contact with a thin chain, and, to his surprise
and infinite satisfaction, he found secured to it the casket he had
given up as lost.

Having finished his rounds, accompanied by Faithful, he returned to the
fort to examine his prize, and to ascertain that all was safe within.
By the light of a lamp which burned in his hut he now perceived that
poor Faithful looked very thin and wretched; and knowing that, pressed
by hunger, she might prove dangerous to some of his comp