. Besides, I
can't turn my uncle's palace into a Home for Lost Girls."

Two days before Dick and Surajah started again, the reply from the
military secretary arrived. It stated that the time and circumstances
pointed out that the place besieged and forced to surrender, eight
years before, was Corsepan; and this was indeed rendered a certainty,
by the fact that the officer in command was Captain Mansfield. He had
with him a half company of Europeans, and three companies of Sepoys.
On looking through the official papers at the time, he had found
Captain Mansfield's report, in which he stated that, on the night
after leaving the fort, the troops, which had been reduced to half
their original strength, had been attacked by a party either of
dacoits or irregular troops. Fearing that some such act of treachery
might be attempted, he had told his men to conceal a few cartridges
under their clothes, when they marched out with empty cartridge
pouches. They had, on arriving at their halting place, loaded; and,
when the dacoits fell upon them, had opened fire.

The robbers doubtless expected to find them defenceless, and speedily
fled. In the confusion, some of them had penetrated far into the camp,
and had carried off the captain's daughter, a child of six years old.
When peace was signed with Tippoo, three weeks afterwards, the
commissioners were ordered to make special inquiries as to this child,
and to demand her restoration. They reported that Tippoo denied all
knowledge of the affair, and neither she, nor any of the other girls
there, were ever given up. The letter went on:

"There can be no doubt that the young lady you rescued is the child
who was carried off, and the initials you speak of, on the cross, may
certainly be taken as proof of her identity. Her father retired from
the Service last year, with the rank of colonel. I am, of course,
ignorant of his address. As you say that Mrs. Holland will gladly
continue in charge of her, I would suggest that you should write a
letter to Colonel Mansfield, stating the circumstances of the case,
and saying that, as soon as you are informed of his address, the young
lady will be sent to England. I will enclose the letter in one to the
Board of Directors, briefly stating the circumstances, and requesting
them to forward the enclosure to Colonel Mansfield."

To Annie, the letter came as a relief. It would be nearly a year
before a letter could be received from her father. Until t