ompany were in the secret, and gave out to the men
that this was a new recruit, a cousin of the man we had just lost.

"Under that title he has passed through the campaign; living with
the soldiers, sharing all their hardships; and being, for a time at
least, altogether unsuspected of being aught but what he appeared.
Gholam Singh said that his conduct was excellent; that he was a
great favourite, with the men, for the good humour with which he
bore the hardships. He was with Beynon and Moberley, and showed
great pluck and steadiness in picking off several of the enemy, as
they fled.

"Fortunately, Moberley overheard him mutter to himself in English,
and so the matter came out. Moberley promised to keep silence till
we got here and, this morning, he told the whole story. Of course,
we could not have poor Bullen's son remaining a private in the
Pioneers, and he has joined us under the old conditions. I have
given him the rank of lieutenant, and shall recommend him for a
commission; which I have no doubt he will get, not only as the son
of an officer who had done excellent service, but for the pluck and
enterprise he has shown. His perfect knowledge of Punjabi will
also, of course, count in his favour."

The officers all shook hands cordially with him, and congratulated
him on the manner in which he had carried out his disguise; and he
was at once made a member of the mess. Afterwards, two or three of
them walked with him down to the lines of his company. The men
regarded them with interest, and then burst into a loud cheer.

"That is good," the officer said. "It shows that you like him.
Henceforth he will rank as one of the officers; and I hope you will
all like him, in that capacity, as well as you did when he was one
of yourselves."

They then walked off, leaving the company in a state of excitement.

In the afternoon, at mess, Lisle learned the whole details of the
siege, which had been gathered from the officers of the garrison.
On March 2nd, Mr. Robertson received information that Sher Afzul
had arrived in the valley and, the next day, news came that he was,
with a large following, at a small house in a ravine, about a mile
and a quarter from the fort. Captain Campbell, with two hundred of
the Kashmir Rifles, was sent out to make a reconnaissance. He was
accompanied by Captains Townshend and Baird, and by Surgeon Captain
Whitchurch and Lieutenant Gurdon. The rest were left in the bazaar,
to hold the road.