s wife, laying her hand upon his arm,
"what about your double rifle at home?"

"Double gun, my dear, and one barrel rifled. I haven't done much
sporting with that lately. I was to have a tiger-shoot. But what do
you mean? Do you want me to begin potting at the enemy?"

"No, dear; I was thinking about the cartridges."

"Yes, Doctor," cried Archie excitedly. "You must have a lot of
cartridges."

"I had four boxes, my lad--two of shot, large and small, and two of
ball-cartridges for the tigers. But I haven't the least idea where they
are."

"But I know, dear--on the store-room floor. I put them there to be
dry."

"Good girl! But they're no use for our men's rifles."

"The powder would be, Doctor," said Archie; "and you might let us have
the rifle for one of the men."

"Yes, of course," said the Doctor bitterly. "But how are you going to
get them here?"

"Yes," said Archie thoughtfully; "how are we going to get them here?"

"Why, my lad," said the Doctor, "to reach the bungalow you would have to
go through a little forest of spears, and if our lads managed to cut you
out it would be only another patient for me to heal--if I could," he
added softly--"and the one we could least spare."

"Poor boy!" said Mrs Morley as Archie went slowly away. "I wish I
hadn't mentioned the cartridges. Surely he won't dream of trying to get
them?"

"Oh no; it's an impossibility. He would never be so mad."

"I don't know," said Mrs Morley. "After what has been done by the men
in volunteering to fetch in food, he will be offering to make some such
dreadful venture."

"Then he sha'n't," said the Doctor fiercely, "for I will make it my duty
to put the Major on his guard."

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

AFTER LAST POST.

Meanwhile Archie, faint with heat and weariness, had made his way slowly
to Peter, who was at his old post, doing double and quadruple duty as
the sentry who commanded the approach to the landing-place; and as
Archie entered the room he looked up eagerly.

"I was thinking about you, Mister Archie, sir."

"And I was thinking about you, Pete."

"Thank you, sir. Have a drink, sir," he continued eagerly, pointing to
a brass lotah and a cocoa-nut shell. "It's nice and fresh, sir. Mother
Smithers only brought it up about two hours ago, because she said this
was the hottest place in the station; and it's splendid stuff, sir.
It's kept me awake many's the time, when I've felt as I must snooze."

Arc