"Go to sleep, Gil, boy," said my father. "Our pickets will give plenty of notice if Ny Deen comes." But I could not sleep for thinking of Brace, who had not been to the supper, and I wanted to make my position clear before my mind would be at rest. CHAPTER FIFTY ONE. The strange silence that reigned in the palace, the dying out of the fierce glare of the fire, and utter exhaustion, at last weighed down my eyelids, and I dropped into an uneasy sleep, but only to dream about escaping over the roofs with Dost, being captured, and then watching the terrible assault and carrying of the rajah's house. From that I wandered into the meeting with my father, and fancied that I was going with him to Nussoor, where my mother and sister would not recognise me because Brace had been there first and told them I was a miserable renegade who had gone over to the rebels, and slain women and children with a tulwar whose hilt and sheath were covered with jewels. Oh dear, what nonsense one does dream when one's brain gets into a fevered state. I was calling Ny Deen to witness to my perfect innocence, for he was somehow there at Nussoor, when my father suddenly said-- "It is of no use, Gil. You may as well get up." I started awake to see that his grey, worn face was bent down over me, and found that he was holding my hand. "You had better rouse up, and have a bath, lad," he said kindly. "Your sleep is doing you no good." "Oh, what a horrible muddle of a dream," I exclaimed, as I sprang to my feet. "You should have undressed, my lad. You are bathed in perspiration." Dost came in just then with coffee borne by Salaman, and I turned to him directly. "How did you escape?" I cried. "I was beaten down, sahib, and I managed to crawl away. I was not much hurt," he added, with a smile. "I am glad," I cried; and ten minutes later I was out in the court with my father, listening to the arrangements being made; and soon after I was audience to a little council of war in the rajah's principal room, where it was arranged that two strong companies of the other foot regiment should garrison the palace, and hold it while a troop of lancers stayed back to help preserve order in the town. An hour later, they were forming a marching column to go out and give battle to the rajah and his force, which lay, according to spies, ten miles away, holding a patch of forest beyond the swift river which ran from there to this town. "Which will you do, Gil?" said my father; "come with me, or stay with the major who is in command here?" "I want to go back to my troop," I said sharply; and as I spoke, Brace, who had before met me that morning, came in looking very careworn, and with his uniform almost in rags. "Ah, well," said my father; "here is your captain." I hesitated for a moment, and then walked across to Brace, who moved away to one of the windows. "You wish to speak to me, sir?" he said coldly.