stayed for another two or three days, and paid a visit to the
pagoda and camps. I am very glad that I have had a sight of you
again, though it's a very short one."

"I should be glad to stay another day or two, Stanley; but it is
really of importance for me to get down to Ramgur, as soon as I
can, and send Johnson off with the cattle; for I want to set about
buying the herds for the other column, as quickly as possible. I
think I have left myself a fair margin of time, but there is
nothing like promptitude in delivery, and I want to get a good
name, for future business; and if this affair here is going to last
another twelve-month, regular supplies must be sent up for, as beef
is forbidden by the Burmese religion, they keep no cattle except
for draught purposes, and the army must get their bullocks by sea."

Five minutes later Stanley was rowed ashore. The next morning he
accompanied the general, and went down to inspect the newly-arrived
cattle.

"They are a capital lot," he said to Stanley, "decidedly the best
that we have had, yet. You see, it is a good deal shorter voyage,
from Ramgur, than from either Calcutta or Madras; and the animals
probably had a much shorter land journey before they were shipped.
Then, too, as your uncle came down himself they were, no doubt,
much better looked after than usual on the voyage. However, I will
take care to mention, when I write next to Calcutta, that the
cattle are far above the average; and I shall be glad if they will
arrange for such further supplies as we may require from the same
source."

"Thank you, sir; that will be a great help to my uncle. Hitherto he
has had very uphill work of it; though he was beginning to get on
very well, when the war put a stop to trade. He knows the whole
country so thoroughly that he can certainly buy up cattle at many
places where no European trader, save himself, has ever
penetrated."

"No doubt, Brooke; and I hope, for your sake, that he will succeed
well in this contracting business. He has certainly made an
excellent start and, as he is first in the field in the country
between Assam and Ramgur, he ought to make a good thing of this
opportunity that has fallen in his way. I know that it takes a long
time to build up a business but, when the foundation is laid, and a
man is quick in taking advantage of an opportunity, he can do as
much in a year as he might do in twenty, without it.

"Now, I am going over to the lines of the 47th