y could
pick us off at twelve hundred paces.

"I wish we could get hold of some of the rascally traders who
supply them with rifles of this kind. I would hang them without
mercy. Of course, a few of the rifles have been stolen; but that
would not account in any way for the numbers they have in their
hands. A law ought to be passed, making it punishable by death for
any trader to sell a musket to a native; not only on the frontier,
but throughout India. The custom-house officers should be forced to
search for them in every ship that arrives; the arms and ammunition
should be confiscated; and the people to whom they are consigned
should be fined ten pounds on every rifle, unless it could be
proved that the consignment was made to some of the native princes,
who had desired them for the troops raised as subsidiary forces to
our own."

The colonel then related Lisle's story in the campaign, which
created unbounded surprise among the guests.

"It was a marvellous undertaking for a young fellow to plan and
carry out," one of them said. "There are few men who could have
kept up the character; fewer still who would have attempted it,
even to take part in a campaign. I am sure, colonel, that we all
hope your application for a commission for him will be granted; for
he certainly deserves it, if ever a fellow did."

There was a general murmur of assent and, shortly afterwards, the
meeting broke up; for it was already a very late hour.

The rest of the campaign was uneventful. Lisle speedily fell back
into the life he had led before the campaign began, except that he
now acted as an officer. He already knew so much of the work that
he had no difficulty, whatever, in picking up the rest of his
duties. He was greatly pleased that the colonel said nothing more
to Gholam Singh, and the native officers of his company and, by the
time the regiment marched back to Peshawar, he was as efficient as
other officers of his rank.

He had, after his father's death, written down to his agents at
Calcutta; and had received a thousand rupees of the sum standing to
his account, in their hands. He was therefore able to pay his share
of the mess expenses; which were indeed very small for, with the
exception of fowls and milk, it was impossible to buy anything to
add to the rations given to them.

The march down was a pleasant one. There was no longer any occasion
for speed. The snow had melted in the passes, the men were in high
spirits at