raordinary fatality, your
regiment is almost annihilated; and you mount up, by death steps, to a
captain's rank, nine months after the date of your gazette. In any other
regiment in the service, you would have been lucky if you had got three
or four steps, by this time."

"I am fortunate, indeed, sir," Will said. "I can scarcely believe
it, myself."

"Ah! whom do I see here?" the colonel exclaimed, as a mounted
officer rode through the camp. "My old friend, Ripon!

"Ah Ripon, how are you?"

The colonel reined in his horse; and the two officers, who had not
met for some years, entered into a warm conversation; while Will
strolled away to talk to some of the younger officers, who
congratulated him most heartily on the luck which had, in a few
months, taken him over their heads.

In the afternoon Will received a note from Colonel Ripon, asking
him to dine with him, as Colonel Shepherd was going to do so. Will
replied that he would gladly dine, but must be excused for a time,
afterwards; as he was on duty, and would have to go the rounds, in
the evening.

There were three or four other officers at dinner, as Colonel Ripon
had many friends in the relieving column. When dinner was over,
Will made his excuses and left; promising to look in again, in a
couple of hours, when he had finished his rounds. Soon afterwards,
the other young officers left. Colonel Shepherd, only, remained.

"That is a singularly fine young fellow--young Gale, I mean,"
Colonel Shepherd said; "and a singularly fortunate one. I feel
quite proud of him. It was upon my advice that he enlisted; but if
any one had told me, at the time, that he would be a captain in two
years, I should have said that it was absolutely impossible."

"Yes," Colonel Ripon replied, "his luck has been marvelous; but if
ever a fellow deserved it, he did. I have a very warm liking--I may
say an affection--for him. He saved my life, when I was attacked by
some Ghazis here, and must have been killed, had it not been for
his promptness, and coolness. He was wounded, too; and we were
nursed together, here. Since then I have seen a great deal of him
and, the more I see him, the more I like him.

"Do you know anything of him, previous to the time of his
enlisting? You told me he joined your regiment, on the day when it
arrived at Calcutta. I know nothing of his history, before that.
The subject never happened to occur, in conversation; and it was
one upon which I naturally sho