s, who looked on in silence till the
surgeon made his report.

"Concussion of the brain, I'm afraid," he said shortly. "Bad for a man
in his state. This fellow is always on the drink. He must have fallen
very heavily. Was he fighting?"

"Yes--no," I said, rather confusedly.

"Not very clear, Vincent," said the major. "Which was he doing?"

"The fact is, sir, he was brutally ill-using one of the syces, who did
not dare to defend himself, and I knocked the fellow down."

"Oh!" said the major, coldly; and he walked away, but turned back.

"You had better go to your quarters, sir," he said. "I suppose we can
do you no good, Danby?"

"No; thanks. Only let me have the nurse. Place will be cooler without
company."

I went to my quarters, feeling as if the whole of my military career had
come to an end through my passionate, quixotic behaviour; and yet
somehow I could not deeply regret my action.

I was sitting in my dim room, watching the moths and flies circling
round the shaded lamp, when I received a summons to go to the major's
quarters, and on going across I found Brace there, and the doctor.

"This is a serious matter, Vincent," said the major. "Dr Danby gives a
very bad account of this man's state. How did it all happen? Tell me
everything."

I explained all the circumstances, and then there was a pause. I
glanced at Brace, who sat there in the shade, so that I could not see
his face, and a curious sensation of misery attacked me as I began to
think of court-martials, and dismissal, or resignation, if there were no
worse punishment, and my brain had already pictured the man's death,
with the following military funeral, and volleys fired over the grave,
when the major said--

"We must wait and see how this matter turns out, Vincent. It will be a
most painful thing for me to report at head-quarters. But I will say no
more to-night, only to warn you that you are too quixotic."

That word again! How I did loathe it then.

"I have a great objection myself to seeing the natives beaten, and I
have more than once punished men for it; but it will not do for a junior
officer like you to take upon yourself the defence of every black whom
you consider ill-used. There, sir; you can return to your quarters.
No, no, don't say anything to-night. Go back, and think of what I have
said. Going, Brace?"

"Yes," said the captain, rising. "I'll walk back with Vincent: you
don't want me any longer. I'll