Frank Mallett was among them.

"So I suppose you may go at any moment, Mallett?" said the host at
the dinner table that evening.

"Yes, Sir John, my shooting today has been execrable; for I have
known that at any moment my fellow might ride up with the order for
me to return at once, and we are all in such a fever of impatience,
that I am surprised I brought down a bird at all."

"You can hardly hope to be in time either for the siege of Delhi or
for the relief of Lucknow, Mallett."

"One would think not, but there is no saying. You see, our news is
a month old; Havelock had been obliged to fall back on Cawnpore,
and a perfect army of rebels were in Delhi. Of course, the
reinforcements will soon be arriving, and I don't think it likely
that we shall get up there in time to share in those affairs; but
even if we are late both for Lucknow and Delhi, there will be
plenty for us to do. What with the Sepoy army and with the native
chiefs that have joined them, and the fighting men of Oude and one
thing and another, there cannot be less than 200,000 men in arms
against us; and even if we do take Delhi and relieve Lucknow, that
is only the beginning of the work. The scoundrels are fighting with
halters round their necks, and I have no fear of our missing our
share of the work of winning back India and punishing these
bloodthirsty scoundrels."

"It is a terrible time," Sir John said; "and old as I am, I should
like to be out there to lend a hand in avenging this awful business
at Cawnpore, and the cold-blooded massacres at other places."

"I think that there will be no lack of volunteers, Sir John. If
Government were to call for them I believe that 100,000 men could
be raised in a week."

"Ay, in twenty-four hours; there is scarce a man in England but
would give five years of his life to take a share in the punishment
of the faithless monsters. There was no lack of national feeling in
the Crimean War; but it was as nothing to that which has been
excited by these massacres. Had it been a simple mutiny among the
troops we should all be well content to leave the matter in the
hands of our soldiers; but it is a personal matter to everyone;
rich and poor are alike moved by a burning desire to take part in
the work of vengeance. I should doubt if the country has ever been
so stirred from its earliest history."

"Yes, I fancy we are all envying you, Mallett," one of the other
gentlemen said. "Partridge shooting is tame work