it wasn't war."

"I did not think of it one way or the other," Captain Forster laughed.
"I was so furious at the insolence off those dogs attacking me, that
I thought of nothing else, and just went at them; but of course it was
foolish."

"It did good," the Doctor said. "It showed the Sepoys how little we
thought of them, and how a single white officer was ready to match
himself against a squadron. It will render them a good deal more careful
in their attack than they otherwise would have been. It brought them
under our fire, too, and they suffered pretty heavily; and I am sure the
infantry must have lost a good many men from our fire just now. I hope
they will come to the conclusion that the wisest thing they can do is
to march away to Delhi and leave us severely alone. Now what are your
orders, Major, for after breakfast?"

"I think the best thing is for everyone to lie down for a few hours,"
the Major said. "No one had a wink of sleep last night, and most of us
have not slept much for some nights past. We must always keep two men on
the roof, to be relieved every two hours. I will draw up a regular rota
for duty; but except those two, the rest had better take a good sleep.
We may be all called upon to be under arms at night."

"I will go on the first relief, Major," the Doctor said. "I feel
particularly wide awake. It is nothing new to me to be up all night. Put
Bathurst down with me," he said, in a low tone, as the Major rose from
the table. "He knows that I understand him, and it will be less painful
for him to be with me than with anyone else. I will go up at once, and
send young Harper down to his breakfast. There will be no occasion to
have Bathurst up this time. The Sepoys are not likely to be trying any
pranks at present. No doubt they have gone back to their lines to get a
meal."

The Doctor had not been long at his post when Isobel Hannay came up
onto the terrace. They had seen each other alone comparatively little of
late, as the Doctor had given up his habit of dropping in for a chat in
the morning since their conversation about Bathurst.

"Well, my dear, what is it?" he asked. "This is no place for you, for
there are a few fellows still lurking among the trees, and they send a
shot over the house occasionally."

"I came up to say that I am sorry, Doctor."

"That is right, Isobel. Always say you are sorry when you are so,
although in nine cases out of ten, and this is one of them, the saying
so