poor Brace, while we were trying to find the guns of
our troop, and it was too dark to see them, and how long the Hindu was
killing him, and I could not help, and--

"Asleep, Gil?"

A pause, and then again, as I lay panting on my back, streaming with
perspiration, and with my arm feeling numb as I listened to the
horrible, strangulated breathing once more--

"Asleep, Gil?"

"No--yes--not now;" and I was all of a tremble.

"Cheerful style of watchman that, lad. Hear him? Any one would think
he was being strangled. What shall I do to wake him? Prick him with
the point of my sword?"

"No, no; don't do that," I whispered, as I tried hard to realise that I
was awake, and had been dreaming.

"Well, I'm too tired to get up. I've had a nap too, and you've been
breathing pretty hard, but not snorting and gurgling like that old
wretch. Here, hi! you, sir," he cried in Hindustani.

"The sahib wants his servant?"

"Yes--no," cried Brace. "What are you doing?"

"Thy servant was keeping watch over his masters, and smoking his
chillum."

Brace's charpoy creaked, and he uttered a curious laugh even in
Hindustani.

"That's right; go on. I did not know what it was in the dark." Then to
me: "Did you understand what he said?"

"Only partly. Didn't he say he was smoking?"

"Yes; puffing away at his old hubble-bubble. There he goes again."

For the snorting, gurgling sound recommenced, and I knew that the candle
had burned out, while I was struggling in the horrors of a
nightmare-like dream.

"Is it near morning, Brace?" I said.

"It must be; but try and go to sleep again, lad. If it is only for one
hour, it will do you good, and make you fresher for the day's work."

"You think I need not mind sleeping?"

"Not in the least, lad. There is no danger till daybreak, and I am
afraid not then, for our enemies are miles away by now."

He was silent, and I lay listening to the old man's hubble-bubble for a
time, till a delicious feeling of repose stole over me, and the next
thing I heard was the chattering song of minahs--the Indian starlings--
in the trees somewhere outside of the hovel where I lay, and, on opening
my eyes, they rested on the ancient face of the old man, squatting down
on his heels at a short distance from the foot of my bedstead, the level
rays of the sun pleasantly lighting up his calm old face; and as he saw
that I was looking at him, he rose to his feet and salaamed to me.

"It is morn