I made no answer, but I did not retire, as Brace softly raised the cloth from the face of our commanding officer, and I saw that, though disfigured by a couple of terrible cuts, it was quite placid; and my heart warmed--in my sorrow for my poor friend--toward the Hindu servant who had so reverently treated his remains. Then a thrill ran through me, for as Brace stood holding the cloth raised, and Dost held the candle for us to see, the doctor uttered an ejaculation, pushed Brace rudely aside, and then laid his rifle on the ground, and began to tear open the light cotton garment the major wore, while his busy hands played, in the dim light, about his breast. "Here, Dost," he whispered, "put down the light. Tear this cloth into narrow bandages. Vincent, lad, take out my pocket-book from my breast, and open it." "Great heavens, Danby!" began Brace. "Thank Heaven, you mean," said the doctor, in his quick, business-like way. "Good job I'm here. Dost, you fool, you shouldn't be in such a hurry. Why, you might have buried him. The man's not dead." No word was uttered, but there was a quick expiration of the breath, and then a busy silence, only broken by the rustling movements of the doctor, who kept on examining and bandaging. At last he began to speak. "Wonderful how nature stops bleeding," he whispered. "He has cuts and stabs enough to have bled any one to death, but there's a spark left yet." "Hist! what's that?" said Brace, as a sound came from the door. "Right, sir," said a voice, which I knew to be Sergeant Craig's. "Mr Haynes is getting uneasy." "Go and tell him," said Brace, who was kneeling and holding one end of a bandage. I crossed to the door. "We've found the major," I whispered, "desperately wounded, but alive." "Oh!" came in one burst from the men. "Go and tell Mr Haynes." "Best news I've heard to-day, sir," whispered the sergeant, who turned and went off at the double while I stepped outside, and closed the door to satisfy myself that the light could not be seen. "No, sir," said one of the men, "we couldn't see a speck of it." I hurried back to report in a whisper that all was safe, and for the next quarter of an hour I looked on till the doctor had finished his task. "There," he said, rising, "he's as bad as can be, but I may bring him round if we can get him to a place of safety." "Dost can help us, perhaps," I whispered. "Try and manage it with him, Danby," said Brace, "while I go and see if the horses are safe. Dost, I ask your pardon for my unjust suspicions. Forgive me!" "The captain sahib did not know my heart," was the reply; and before leaving, I caught and pressed the Hindu's hand.