ad come in, and with it a letter from my
father, enclosing two others from my mother and sister.

"Where are they now?" asked Brace.

"In the north-west provinces," I said eagerly, "at Nussoor."

"Some hundred miles away, Vincent. You are not likely to meet them for
some time to come. You will have to introduce me to your people when
you do."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

My work was hard at Rambagh, for I had no measured hours. I was
ambitious too; eager to master my profession, and in constant dread of
exciting derision by making some mistake.

Perhaps some lads of my age would not have worked so hard, but would
have contented themselves by acquiring the necessary knowledge slowly;
but that did not accord with my ideas, and I eagerly attended all the
early morning drills, and though the sergeant sourly said that I wanted
a deal of setting up, and the riding-master laughingly told me that I
looked like a tailor on horseback, I suppose I got on pretty well. At
any rate, I was able to keep my place without making many outrageous
blunders.

I suppose it was a good deal due to the petting bestowed upon him, but I
found my charger--the Sheik--as I called him, at Captain Brace's
suggestion, grew quite attached to me, and would follow me like a dog.

And in spite of the intense heat, it was a pleasant life when I grew
more used to my work, and less conscious and afraid of ridicule. I had
my servants, who were very obedient and servile, but not at all
attentive. I was too easy with them, Barton said, and he told me that a
good kicking would do them good. Certainly his men flew to obey every
word, and shrank at every look.

"And hate him like poison," Captain Brace said bitterly.

But they did not show their hatred, if Brace was right; and no officer
rode out to parade in better trim than Barton.

One hot day, as I was seated panting at my shuttered window, I saw that
Barton's way of treating the syces was imitated by his subordinates, for
one of the Serjeants, for some reason or another, raised his hand to
strike a white-clothed figure across the enclosure, but altered his
mind, and kicked him instead, with the result that the man shrank away,
but made no sign, and I could not help thinking what a tyrant the white
man was to the conquered black.

I don't know how it was, but as I lay back in my chair weary after a
heavy morning drill, and drowsy from the effects of a good breakfast, I
kept my eyes on the white-clo