"Oh!" I said; and I was about to turn away, when the man said
respectfully--
"Beg pardon, sir; you don't know me again."
"No," I said, looking at the man in a puzzled way. "Yes, of course; you
are Denny. I did not expect to find you here. How are you?"
"Nicely, sir, thank ye. I was picked with two more to enter this troop.
Very glad, sir, you are appointed to it."
"Thank you, Denny," I said. "It is pleasant to see the same faces."
"Beg pardon, sir," continued the man eagerly. "I oughtn't to talk like
this, perhaps, but I got a letter from London yesterday, and she's all
right, and ain't no worse for being pretty nigh drowned; and she said if
ever I see the young gent as saved her life, as she'd always pray for
him that he might live long and die happy."
"Oh, don't talk about it, Denny," I said hastily. "Thank you. That
door where the syces are with the horses?"
"Don't stand sulking there, you black-looking scoundrel. It won't do
with me; I'll cut it out of you."
There was the sound of more blows, and then, as I nearly reached the
doorway, where the native servants made way respectfully, I heard what
was evidently the final blow, and the words, "Now get out."
Directly after, a tall native in white came out, with his face convulsed
and the blood streaming down one cheek from a cut on the left temple,
and staining his white cotton garment; but as he came upon me, his
countenance suddenly grew unnaturally calm, and he drew up on one side
and saluted, as if nothing was the matter, though I could see that he
was trembling like a leaf.
Discipline had already taught me that I had no right to interfere with
the actions of my superior officers, but human nature had made me
already resent the way in which overbearing Englishmen bullied and
ill-used the patient, long-suffering natives; and as I had heard the
sounds of abuse and blows coming across the compound, a curious
sensation of shame and annoyance made me feel hot and uncomfortable; and
now as I came suddenly face to face with the good-looking, dark-faced
man, with his bleeding temple, I hurriedly drew out a clean white
handkerchief, doubled it into a bandage, and signing to the man to bend
down, tied it tightly, bandage fashion, over what was a very severe cut.
The man shrank from me for a moment, as if my action repelled him, but
the next he had crossed his hands humbly over his breast, and bent
forward.
The act on my part was very quickly done, and then he raised his head,
and his eyes met mine with a look that I could not read, but I could see
that his lips were quivering, and the side of his head left uncovered
was full of lines.
The next moment I had remembered that I was an officer, and drew myself
up stiffly.
"Is Lieutenant Barton in his rooms?" I said, in what I meant to be
sharp, authoritative tones.
"Yes; what do you want?" came out through the window; and I stepped
forward, catching one peculiar look from the injured man again, and
noticing that the other syces salaamed to me as I passed out of the
glare of sunshine, into the comparative darkness of a mat-hung passage,
and from thence into a comfortable room well-furnished with cane chairs,
gay Indian rugs, and curtains, and with a light table, on which stood a
cigar-box, a bottle or two, and glasses. Between them lay a stout,
silver-topped malacca cane, evidently the instrument with which the
native groom had been chastised.
But the principal object in the room was a fair-haired,
supercilious-looking young man of seven or eight and twenty, in the
lightest of pyjamas, and with a scarlet sash about his waist.
He was lolling back in a reclining-chair as I entered, and he wrinkled
his face, half-closing his eyes, and drawing his heavy moustache close
up under his nose in a very unpleasant way, as he stared at me.
"Oh, you're our new fire-eater," he said, in a bantering tone. "I heard
you had come while I was away. How are you? Sit down and have a cigar.
Here, hi!"
He clapped his hands, and a grave-looking native in white entered,
salaamed, and said softly--
"Sahib?"
"Mix two cool drinks, and put in plenty of ice. Look sharp!"
"Don't order anything for me," I said, as the man bowed and left the
room.
"Don't object to my having one, do you?" was said sneeringly, as I sat
down; and then the officer laughed. "Take a cigar."
"Thank you. I don't smoke."
"Don't drink--don't smoke? Ah, well, I dare say we can teach you before
we've done. Well, how do you like Rambagh?"
"I haven't been here long enough to tell yet. It is very hot."
"Pooh! this is nothing. Ninety. Wait a bit, and we'll give it to you
up to twenty."
"No, that's too cold," I said, laughing.
"Is it? Wait till you try."
"Oh, you mean a hundred and twenty."
"I do. You will not be so ready to use a lot of words when one will do,
after you've been here a while."
"I suppose it does make you languid."
"Yes, and you can't get a thing done by the lazy hounds you have for
servants. The more you keep, the less there is done. I had to thrash
my new syce this morning to bring him to his senses."
"Yes, I heard you," I said. "Are you allowed to knock people about like
that?"
He opened his eyes, and then squeezed them up again, as he stared at me
wonderingly.
"Allowed? Who's to prevent it?"
"I don't know," I said. "I'm new to the place."
Just then the native servant brought in two glasses of some cool-looking
drink, and handed them to his master.
"Now, idiot! how often am I to tell you to go to the visitors first?"
"Ask pardon, master," said the man; and he brought the brass tray to me,
but the lieutenant took his own first.
"Health," he said shortly, and half drained his glass. I sipped mine,
and set it down as the man left the room.
"Let's see; you came over with Brace, didn't you?"
"Yes; in the _Jumna_. He advised me to call and see you this morning,
as you were out when we came."
"Much obliged to him. Fond of shooting?"
"I dare say I should be. I have had no opportunity so far."
"Fishing, then?"
"Oh yes. I have had a little trout and bottom fishing."
"Ah! we can give you some mahseer fishing here. Trying after big ones
that can pull you in."
"Thank you. I shall be very glad."
"But you will not have much time yet. Nice grind you've got before you
to master your drill."
"Yes, I suppose so," I replied.
"Don't drink, don't smoke, and I suppose you can't ride?"
"Yes, I can ride," I said quickly.
"I suppose so--in a riding-school. Wait till you are going at full
gallop over the plain, with six or eight guns bumping and jumping after
you; you'll find out then whether you can ride. Well, how do you like
Brace?"
The question startled me.
"I--I hardly know yet," I said.
"With him long enough, anyhow!"
"I thought him very gentlemanly and kind."
"Bah! You don't want a man to be gentlemanly and kind. You have got to
learn to be a soldier--an artilleryman, not a molly. But, there, don't
you be uneasy about that. I'll see that you are not spoiled. Got your
servants yet?"
"No; there is nothing settled. I have only just come."
"No horses, I suppose?"
"No. Captain Brace said he would help me to get a couple."
"Hum! Deal he knows about horses. Better let me buy them for you. I
know just the thing for you: plenty of speed, showy, and grand action--
sort of a charger that wouldn't do for me. Not up to my weight, but it
would carry you splendidly. Brace always was the worst mounted man in
the brigade. Better try a cigar."
I declined again, and sat chatting to my brother-officer till I thought
I had been with him long enough, when I rose to go.
"What! off already?" he said. "Oh, well, if you can't stay. But you
haven't swallowed your drink."
I declined that too, feeling that he must be looking down upon me with
the most utter contempt; but he said nothing till I had shaken hands.
"Then I shall look out for a charger for you?"
"Please no; not till I have spoken to Captain Brace."
"What for? Oh, he'll be glad to be saved the trouble. That will be all
right. You stick to me, and I'll see you through."
I left my brother-officer's quarters soon afterwards, feeling very glad
to get away, and certainly under the impression that he thought me very
stupid and boyish.
"I suppose I've been keeping him in," I thought, for outside I found the
syces still waiting with the horses I had noticed on entering, and
there, too, was the man who had been punished by the lieutenant; but my
handkerchief was not tied round his head now, his wound having been
bathed and covered with a scrap of plaister. I observed, too, that he
must have changed the slight white garments he wore, for the ugly stains
were gone.
He salaamed as I passed and went back to my own quarters, thinking that
I should have to alter a good deal if I used the native servants as I
had seen the man treated that day.