ut.

"Good morning, sir. I see you have brought in a deserter," the
general said.

"He is not a deserter, sir. He is an escaped prisoner, who has made
his way down from Ava through the enemy's lines.

"This is Mr. Brooke. He was serving as an officer with the native
levy, at Ramoo, and was reported as killed. However, he was
fortunately only stunned and, being the only officer found alive,
was sent by Bandoola as a prisoner to Ava. I may say that he is a
son of the late Captain Brooke, of the 15th Native Infantry."

"You are certainly wonderfully disguised," the general said; "and I
congratulate you heartily on your escape. I should have passed you
by as a native without a second glance though, now that I am told
that you are an Englishman, I can see that you have not the wide
cheekbones and flat face of a Burman. How did you manage to make
your way down?"

"I travelled almost entirely by night, sir; and I had with me a
faithful guide. He is outside. I don't think that I should ever
have got down without him, though I speak Burmese well enough to
pass--especially as the language differs so much, in the different
districts."

"Is he a Burman?"

"Yes, general."

"Have you arranged with him for any particular sum for his
services? If so, it will of course be paid."

"No, sir; he came down simply in gratitude for a service I rendered
him. I do not know whether he intends to go back; but I hope that
he will remain here, with me."

"I have brought Mr. Brooke here, sir," Captain Cooke said, "at the
request of the major; thinking that you might like to ask him some
questions as to the state of things in the interior."

"I should like to have a long talk with Mr. Brooke," the general
said; "but unless he has any certain news of the date they intend
to attack us, I will not detain him now. The first thing will be
for him to get into civilized clothes again.

"By the way, poor young Hitchcock's effects are to be sold this
morning. I should think that they would fit Mr. Brooke very well.

"Let me see. Of course, your pay has been running on, since you
were taken prisoner, Mr. Brooke."

"I am afraid, sir, that there is no pay due," Stanley said. "I
happened to be at Ramoo at the time, looking after some goods of my
uncle, who carries on a considerable trade on the coast; and as I
talk the language, and there were very few who did so, I
volunteered to act as an officer with the native levy. I preferred
to act as