t for their poor native servants.

Between nine and ten one morning the bugles sounded the alarm, and
Ahmed, having recovered sufficiently to leave his charpoy, went out to
see what was happening. He had heard the sounds of firing so often while
lying sick that he would hardly have noticed it now but that it seemed
so much nearer than ever before.

In the drizzling rain a party of cavalry was seen approaching a battery
near the churchyard. One of the gunners had a portfire lighted in
readiness for firing his gun, but Lieutenant Hills ordered him to
refrain, judging from the horsemen's movements that they were a picket
of the 9th Irregular Native Cavalry. All at once, however, it struck him
that the picket was unusually large, and being now a little suspicious,
he ordered his men to unlimber and open upon the horsemen. Before this
could be done some fifteen or twenty of the enemy dashed over the canal
bridge into the camp and rode straight for the guns.

Lieutenant Hills--he was a second lieutenant and a little fellow--saw
that time must be gained for his men if the guns were to be saved.
Without a moment's hesitation he charged the rebels single-handed, cut
down the first man he met, and had just flung his pistol at a second
when two sowars dashed upon him. Their horses collided with his in a
terrific shock; the horse was rolled over, and Hills sent flying to the
ground, thus escaping the swords of the enemy, one of which, however,
shore a slice off his jacket. Half stunned, he lay still, and the rebel
sowars left him for dead.

But Hills was not dead; in a minute or two he rose to his feet and
looked about for his sword. There it was, on the ground about ten yards
away. No sooner was it in his hand than three of the enemy returned--two
on horseback, the third on foot. One of the horsemen charged him, but he
leapt aside and dealt the man a blow that toppled him wounded from the
saddle. The second man made full at him with his lance. Hills parried
the thrust with a quick movement, and wounded the sowar in the head.
Then up came the third man--a young, limber fellow. Hills was panting
for breath after the violence of his exertions. In his fierce and rapid
movements his cloak had in some way wound itself about his throat, so
that he was almost suffocated. But after dealing with the horseman he
stood to meet the last of his opponents, and as he came within reach
aimed a shrewd blow at him with his sword. The new-comer wa