nce had occasion to face danger, and I thought that I
should have been equally secure as an Indian civilian. Now this trouble
is coming upon us."

"Why don't you take your leave, lad? You have been out seven years now
without a day's relaxation, except indeed, the three days you were over
with me at Cawnpore. Why not apply for a year's leave? You have a good
excuse, too; you did not go home at the death of your father, two years
ago, and could very well plead urgent family affairs requiring your
presence in England."

"No, I will not do that, Doctor; I will not run away from danger again.
You understand me, I have not the least fear of the danger; I in no way
hold to my life; I do not think I am afraid of physical pain. It seems
to me that I could undertake any desperate service; I dread it
simply because I know that when the din of battle begins my body will
overmaster my mind, and that I shall be as I was at Chillianwalla,
completely paralyzed. You wondered tonight why that juggler should have
exhibited feats seldom, almost never, shown to Europeans? He did it
to please me. I saved his daughter's life--this is between ourselves,
Doctor, and is not to go farther. But, riding in from Narkeet, I heard a
cry, and, hurrying on, came upon that man eater you shot the other
day, standing over the girl, with her father half beside himself,
gesticulating in front of him. I jumped off and attacked the brute
with my heavy hunting whip, and he was so completely astonished that he
turned tail and bolted."

"The deuce he did," the Doctor exclaimed; "and yet you talk of being a
coward!"

"No, I do not say that I am a coward generally; as long as I have to
confront danger without noise I believe I could do as well as most men."

"But why didn't you mention this business with the tiger, Bathurst?"

"Because, in the first place, it was the work of a mere passing impulse;
and in the second, because I should have gained credit for being what I
am not--a brave man. It will be bad enough when the truth becomes
known, but it would be all the worse if I had been trading on a false
reputation; therefore I particularly charged Rujub to say nothing about
the affair to anyone."

"Well, putting this for a time aside, Bathurst, what do you think of
that curious scene, you and I and Miss Hannay disguised as natives?"

"Taking it with the one I saw of the attack of Sepoys upon a house, it
looks to me, Doctor, as if there would be a mutiny, a