had you failed, it
would have been all up with us. I doubt if we should have seen the
morning and, at any rate, few of us would have been left, by that
time."

The convoy reached Jellalabad without further adventure, and
Captain Edwards reported to the general the events of the march. He
was requested to give a full written report of the affair; and the
general stated that, in forwarding it, he should certainly append a
recommendation that Lieutenant Gale should receive the Victoria
Cross, for his gallantry in venturing through the Afghans to fetch
assistance for the convoy.

Will himself, as soon as he reached Jellalabad, hurried away to the
cantonment of the Norfolk Rangers; who were in a village, a mile
distant from the town. He was not recognized, as he passed through
the soldiers scattered about the village street; and was soon at
the principal house, where the colonel had his quarters. On sending
in his name, he was at once shown into the room where the colonel
was at work.

"I am indeed glad to see you," the latter said, rising and shaking
him heartily by the hand; "and I congratulate you, most warmly, on
your promotion. I promised to do what I could for you, when you
joined; but I did not expect that it would be so soon."

"I am indeed obliged to you, colonel, for your kindness," Will
said; "and am conscious how much I owe to you."

"Not at all, my boy, not at all. It was General Roberts, himself,
who recommended you for your commission; and I was only too glad to
back up his recommendation, to the best of my power. We all thought
you were gone, when you were reported as missing at Ali-Kheyl, and
we heard from the sentry that--having gone forward, to investigate
the origin of a noise he had reported to you--you were suddenly
fired upon; and that he saw no more of you, as he ran back to the
picket. I was glad, indeed, when the report was received from poor
Cavagnari that, upon his arrival at Cabul, he had found you there,
just recovering from your wounds.

"Then, of course, we gave you up again, when we heard of the
massacre of the mission; and it seemed like a resurrection from the
dead when I got a letter from Roberts, saying you were found again,
and that he was recommending you for a commission.

"I see by the Gazette you are appointed to the 66th, and we were
expecting to see you on your way down. Had you any difficulty in
getting through the passes?"

"The convoy was attacked, sir, by the tribe