"Rubbish! Don't be impatient. A soldier can't learn his duties in a month; and when he has learned them, it requires incessant practice to keep up to the mark; and will need," he continued sadly, "to work hard; and, by the way, pay all the attention you can to your sword practice and fencing. I would not miss any of the pistol practice either." I looked at him curiously, for there seemed to be a meaning underlying his words. "You need not worry about the riding-school; you can't help getting on well in that. What are you looking at?" "You don't think there is going to be war, do you?" "I think a soldier ought always to be ready in case there is," he replied evasively. "Yes; but not war out here. You don't think Russia means--" "Hallo! Who has been talking to you about Russia? No, Vincent, my boy, I do not; but I should not be surprised if we have a bit of trouble in one of the provinces before long. I hope not; but we are always having a little affair with some native prince. However, if we do, it may not affect us. Our troop may be a thousand miles away. India is a big place." "Yes, and isn't it wonderful that so few Englishmen should keep so many millions of the natives in subjection?" "In some respects, yes, my lad; in others, no. The great power comes from the fact that India embraces many nations who do not all think alike, neither are they of the same religion; and hence if we had trouble with one nation, the possibility is that we could bring some of the others to fight upon our side. But matters are not as they should be, Vincent; and I cannot help having forebodings now and then. We do not treat the people as we should. There is a little too much of the iron heel of the despot on their necks." I thought of Barton's treatment of the syce, and of many similar incidents wherever I had been since I came out, and then forgot every one but the fact that the post had come in, and with it a letter from my father, enclosing two others from my mother and sister. "Where are they now?" asked Brace. "In the north-west provinces," I said eagerly, "at Nussoor." "Some hundred miles away, Vincent. You are not likely to meet them for some time to come. You will have to introduce me to your people when you do." CHAPTER EIGHT. My work was hard at Rambagh, for I had no measured hours. I was ambitious too; eager to master my profession, and in constant dread of exciting derision by making some mistake. Perhaps some lads of my age would not have worked so hard, but would have contented themselves by acquiring the necessary knowledge slowly; but that did not accord with my ideas, and I eagerly attended all the early morning drills, and though the sergeant sourly said that I wanted a deal of setting up, and the riding-master laughingly told me that I looked like a tailor on horseback, I suppose I got on pretty well. At any rate, I was able to keep my place without making many outrageous blunders.