ain, a report is sent to the commander-in-chief, Sanders
will be cashiered; and I should fancy that Gordon would be called
upon to resign. Of course, you four and Gordon will have to give
evidence before the commission. It depends, of course, how his
colonel takes it; but it is certain that Sanders will have to go,
and I fear Gordon will, too. I expect our colonel will get a
wigging for allowing high play; though, as you say, the greater
part of the money was lost in private play, in Sanders' room.

"Anyhow, it will be a somewhat ugly thing for the regiment in
general, and we shall get the nickname of 'the gamblers' throughout
the army."

The next morning, at eight o'clock, the little committee met. The
four young officers gave their evidence, which was put on paper in
duplicate and signed by them, a copy being sent to the colonel of
Sanders' regiment. In a short time that officer was seen to go into
the colonel's tent and, half an hour later, he came out again and
went away. A few minutes after he had left, the four officers were
summoned.

"I hope," the colonel said, "that we have heard the last of this
most unpleasant business. His colonel tells me that this morning,
as soon as he turned out, Sanders called upon him and said that he
had to go to England, on urgent family business; and that, on his
arrival there, he should send in his papers and retire. He gave him
leave to go at once, and Sanders disposed of his horse and traps,
and started by the eight o'clock train for Calcutta. In these
circumstances we have decided, for the credit of both regiments,
that the matter shall be held over. If, as is morally certain, he
leaves the army, nothing more need be said about it. Of course, if
he should return, it will be brought up.

"I should say, however, that there is no chance whatever of that. I
beg of you to impress upon the officers of the regiment; which,
indeed, I shall myself do at mess, to make no allusion whatever,
outside the regiment, to what has occurred. The less said about it,
the better. If it were at all known, and got to the ears of the
commander-in-chief--and you know how gossip of this kind
spreads--both his colonel and myself would get a severe wigging,
for not sending in a report of it. In that case a committee would
be appointed to go into the whole matter and, as a result, the
regiment would probably be sent to the worst possible cantonment
they could find for us, and Gordon would be called upo