e valuable."

The Doctor, who had several times been in to see Bathurst, went to his
room.

"The Major wants you to join us, Bathurst; we are having a talk over
things, and he wishes to have your opinion. I had better tell you that
as to yourself the camp is divided into two parties. On one side are the
Major, Wilson, and myself, and all the ladies, who take, I need not say,
a common sense view of the matter, and recognize that you have done all
a man could do to overcome your constitutional nervousness, and that
there is no discredit whatever attached to you personally. The rest of
the men, I am sorry to say, at present take another view of the case,
and are disposed to show you the cold shoulder."

"That, of course," Bathurst said quietly; "as to the ladies' view of it,
I know that it is only the result of your good offices, Doctor."

"Then you will come," the Doctor said, pleased that Bathurst seemed less
depressed than he had expected.

"Certainly I will come, Doctor," Bathurst said, rising; "the worst
is over now--everyone knows that I am a coward--that is what I have
dreaded. There is nothing else for me to be afraid of, and it is of no
use hiding myself."

"We look quite at home here, Mr. Bathurst, don't we?" Mrs. Doolan said
cheerfully, as he passed her; "and I think we all feel a great deal more
comfortable than we did when you gave us your warning last night; the
anticipation is always worse than the reality."

"Not always, I think, Mrs. Doolan," he said quietly; "but you have
certainly made yourselves wonderfully at home, though your sewing is of
a more practical kind than that upon which you are ordinarily engaged."

Then he passed on with the Doctor to the other end of the room. The
Major nodded as he came up.

"All right again now, Bathurst, I hope? We want your opinion, for you
know, I think, more of the Zemindars in this part of the country than
any of us. Of course, the question is, will they take part against us?"

"I am afraid they will, Major. I had hoped otherwise; but if it be
true that the Nana has gone--and as the other part of the message was
correct, I have no doubt this is so also--I am afraid they will be
carried away with the stream."

"And you think they have guns?"

"I have not the least doubt of it; the number given up was a mere
fraction of those they were said to have possessed."

"I had hoped the troops would have marched away after the lesson we gave
them this morning,