Paterson passed his arm through Ted's and whispered:
"Well done, old man! I--I can't say what I think about it;" and as he caught Ethel's glance of admiration, approval, and affection there was no prouder officer in all India than Ensign Russell.
"I hope that rascal Pir Baksh has been killed," he said presently. "Did you know, Major, that it was he who shot the colonel?"
"No. Are you sure, Ted? He always seemed such a plausible fellow."
"I didn't see him myself, but Tynan told us that he saw the deed. Certainly Pir Baksh seemed to be the leader in the attack on the fort."
"Pir Baksh!" said Havildar Ambar Singh as he limped into the room. "The hound is surely dead. Major Sahib, I have written down the names of all my men who perished in the fort yesterday, so that their families may get the pension if you English win, and that their names may be recorded as true to their salt."
"Thank you, Havildar! It's a good officer who thinks first of his men. How is your foot to-day?"
"Better, sahib; better, thanks! I do not grudge the injury if that son of a hyena, Pir Baksh, has been killed. If the young sahib here had not been resolute and taken over the command, he would have deceived Tynan Sahib, and we should have been delivered into their hands to be murdered."
"Ah!" said Munro, pricking his ears; "so Russell Sahib had to take over the command? How was that?"
"The other was scared, Major Sahib. True, he was but a lad, and it is hardly to be wondered at. But Russell Sahib refused to surrender, and appealed to us, and we put aside the other and looked to this one as our leader. Ha! Russell Sahib played the man, for he threatened to shoot his comrade when the other objected to being blown up. He will make a general, will the Ensign Sahib."
"Is this story true, Russell?" demanded Munro.
"It's true, sir; but you oughtn't to be hard on Tynan. He was plucky enough most of the time."
"John Lawrence shall know about this if I live," said the major with unwonted emphasis. "All England shall know about it."
"But you won't say anything about Tynan, sir?" Ted asked.
"No, that wouldn't do. We must treat him as dead--ignore his presence in the fort altogether."
Colonel Woodburn's condition was hopeful. The bullet had been successfully extracted, and he was doing well. He sent for Ted, and made him tell the story from beginning to end. Our hero was getting rather tired of it, and Ethel was merciless. She would not allow him to cut out the least incident. The colonel was mightily pleased.