an ordeal as I pray Heaven you may be spared."

"Bah! A parade of your sufferings," said Barton, mockingly.

Brace winced, but he went on calmly.

"I have seen all and borne all, and even now I should not have spoken
but for your insult to Vincent, whom I heard you threaten to
horse-whip."

"Which he daren't do," I cried angrily.

"Silence!" cried Brace sternly. "You are no longer a boy, and this is
not a school."

"Indeed!" said Barton, looking me up and down with an offensive laugh.
"I thought it was."

I winced now in my turn, and then looked wonderingly at Brace, who
uttered the word--

"Contemptible!"

Barton took a step forward angrily.

"Keep your bullying looks and words, sir, for the poor Hindoos, whom you
have so disgracefully trampled down. They are wasted upon me, for I
know your nature now only too well. I am not going to quarrel, though I
have easy excuse."

"Then what will you do?" said Barton. "Fight?"

"Yes, when my duty renders it necessary, sir. As matters stand, I feel
bound to report what has taken place to Major Lacey, and to leave it in
his hands to reprimand you, and call upon you to apologise."

Barton sank back into a chair, uttering a forced laugh that made Brace
turn pale.

"`And out crept a mouse!'" cried the lieutenant. "Is that all, my
brave, fire-eating captain? Report all to Major Lacey! By Jingo, sir,
I'll spare you the trouble. I'll go and tell him what a miserable,
contemptible, beggarly coward he has in his troop, and that he is
allowing you to drag down your wretched pupil to your own level. There,
stand out of my way."

He thrust Captain Brace aside, as he strode toward the door--a thrust
that was almost a blow, and then aloud, "Here you: open that door--
quickly. Do you hear?"

I looked across sharply, and saw that a couple of the native servants
had entered the room, and felt that they must have heard every word.

They opened the door, Barton passed out, and the two white-robed men
turned to look at us wonderingly before hurrying out, and the door fell
to.

"They must have heard," I said to myself; "and they'll go and tell the
others. It will be all round the station directly that Captain Brace is
a coward." For a few moments I felt as if I dared not raise my eyes,
but it was as if something was dragging me to look up, and as I did, I
saw that Brace was looking at me fixedly, and there was something very
singular in his gaze; but for some t