s," said the voices. "Tell about Fat-Sow."

So Crandall turned on his pillow and spoke to the generation he could
not see.

"Well, about three months ago he was commanding a treasure-guard--a cart
full of rupees to pay troops with--five thousand rupees in silver. He
was comin' to a place called Fort Pearson, near Kalabagh."

"I was born there," squeaked a small fag. "It was called after my
uncle."

"Shut up--you and your uncle! Never mind him, Crandall."

"Well, ne'er mind. The Afridis found out that this treasure was on the
move, and they ambushed the whole show a couple of miles before he got
to the fort, and cut up the escort. Duncan was wounded, and the escort
hooked it. There weren't more than twenty Sepoys all told, and there
were any amount of Afridis. As things turned out, I was in charge at
Fort Pearson. Fact was, I'd heard the firing and was just going to see
about it, when Duncan's men came up. So we all turned back together.
They told me something about an officer, but I couldn't get the hang of
things till I saw a chap under the wheels of the cart out in the open,
propped up on one arm, blazing away with a revolver. You see, the escort
had abandoned the cart, and the Afridis--they're an awfully suspicious
gang--thought the retreat was a trap--sort of draw, you know--and the
cart was the bait. So they had left poor old Duncan alone. 'Minute they
spotted how few we were, it was a race across the flat who should reach
old Duncan first. We ran, and they ran, and we won, and after a little
hackin' about they pulled off. I never knew it was one of us till I was
right on top of him. There are heaps of Duncans in the service, and of
course the name didn't remind me. He wasn't changed at all hardly. He'd
been shot through the lungs, poor old man, and he was pretty thirsty.
I gave him a drink and sat down beside him, and--funny thing, too--he
said, 'Hullo, Toffee!' and I said, 'Hullo, Fat-Sow! hope you aren't
hurt,' or something of the kind. But he died in a minute or two--never
lifted his head off my knees... I say, you chaps out there will get your
death of cold. Better go to bed."

"All right. In a minute. But your cuts--your cuts. How did you get
wounded?"

"That was when we were taking the body back to the Fort. They came on
again, and there was a bit of a scrimmage."

"Did you kill any one?"

"Yes. Shouldn't wonder. Good-night."

"Good-night. Thank you, Crandall. Thanks awf'ly, Crandall. Good-night.