with each other.

On bidding farewell to his friend the captain of the Sea Belle, the
latter informed Will that Mr. Reynolds had, on behalf of the owners
of the Sea Belle, paid 100 pounds to his account into the Bank of
Hindustan; and that this, or any portion of it, would be paid to
his order; as the captain had furnished the agent with a slip of
paper upon which Will had, at his request, signed his name. This
had, with the money, been deposited at the bank; so that his
signature might be recognized, and honored.

On reaching the Euphrates, Will was at once taken charge of by
Sergeant Ringwood; who took him before the doctor, to whom the
colonel had already spoken. The medical examination was
satisfactory, the doctor remarking:

"You are rather slight yet, but you will fill out, in time."

The age was asked, and given as under nineteen; and eighteen was
inscribed against him, in the books. Then he was taken before the
colonel, and attested; and was, from that moment, a member of the
regiment. A uniform was served out to him, and the usual articles
of kit. The sergeant saw that his belts were put on properly, and
his knapsack packed; and half an hour afterwards he fell in, with
his musket on his shoulder, among the troops paraded on the deck of
the Euphrates, prior to embarkation.

So quickly had it all been managed that Will could hardly believe
that he was awake as, feeling strangely hampered by his belts and
accouterments, he descended the accommodation ladder, and took his
place with his new comrades on board one of the great native boats,
and rowed to the shore. The regiment was marched direct to the
railway station, where the heavy baggage had been sent, on the
previous day. The men took their places in the long train which
stood in readiness and, half an hour later, steamed north from
Calcutta.

Hitherto, none of his comrades had spoken to Will. In the bustle of
landing, all had enough to do to look to themselves; and it was not
until he found himself, with eight comrades and a corporal, in the
railway carriage that he was addressed.

"Well, young 'un," one said, "what's yer name, and where do you
come from? Calcutta isn't much of a place for recruiting."

"I was on my way to China," Will replied, "and got wrecked among
the Malays; then I got picked up by a vessel, and we had some hot
fighting. Then I was landed at Calcutta and, seeing nothing much to
do, and hearing that there was a chance of a fight