de accompanied
by a few Turkish soldiers, the route being changed on each occasion.
It was accordingly arranged that he should choose to ride on a
particular day in the direction of the sea-coast. At a certain spot
the conspirators were to await him and his escort, overpower the
latter, and carry Kossuth on board an American frigate which was to be
at hand.

Unhappily for the patriot, a lady who was in the secret revealed it to
a bosom friend, who in turn confided in another. In a short time it
came to the knowledge of the Austrian ambassador. Representations were
at once made to the Turkish authorities, who redoubled their vigilance,
and the plot fell through.

The same friend, "General G----," through whom Nicholson had been
interested in the attempt to free Kossuth, now asked the young officer
to do him another favour. His wife, a Hungarian lady, as has been
said, was imprisoned in an Austrian fortress. So vigorous was the
confinement that she was kept in ignorance of her husband's fate, and
the General was anxious to send her news of his escape and present
whereabouts. Nicholson promptly undertook to convey a letter to the
unfortunate lady, should it be possible to do so, and started off
immediately for the fortress.

On arriving at his destination, he marched boldly up to the gate of the
citadel, demanding to see the officer of the guard.

"I am Major Nicholson of the Indian Army," he said, "and I shall be
greatly obliged if you will allow me to see my friend, Madame G----."

The request was undoubtedly an irregular one, but the Austrian officer,
after a little demur, courteously gave his permission. Nicholson was
then conducted to the prisoner's cell and told that he could have five
minutes' conversation, no longer. As soon as the door had closed
behind him, and he and Madame G---- were alone, he pulled off one of
his boots and drew out the letter, saying, "You have just five minutes
to read it, and give me any message for your husband."

[Illustration: "You have just five minutes to read it, and give me any
message for your husband."]

There was no time for the poor lady to express her gratitude as fully
as she would have liked. Having read the welcome letter, she told her
visitor what she wished him to say to her husband, and then--the five
minutes having expired--Nicholson departed.

"These two incidents," says Sir John Kaye, "speak for themselves.
There is no lack, thank God, of kind men, br