THE DISPUTED V.C. BLACKIE & SON LIMITED 50 Old Bailey, LONDON 17 Stanhope Street, GLASGOW BLACKIE & SON (INDIA) LIMITED Warwick House, Fort Street, BOMBAY BLACKIE & SON (CANADA) LIMITED 1118 Bay Street, TORONTO [Illustration: HE DROPPED THE LIGHTED CANDLE ON THE THIN TRAIL OF POWDER _Page 88_ _Frontispiece_] THE DISPUTED V.C. A Tale of the Indian Mutiny BY FREDERICK P. GIBBON _Illustrated by Stanley L. Wood_ BLACKIE & SON LIMITED LONDON AND GLASGOW Zenith Library _BOYS_ =The Disputed V.C.= Frederick P. Gibbon. =The First Mate.= Harry Collingwood. =The Boy Castaways.= H. Taprell Dorling. ="Quills".= Walter C. Rhoades. _GIRLS_ =The Youngest Sister.= Bessie Marchant. =A Princess of Servia.= Bessie Marchant. =A True Cornish Maid.= G. Norway. =Meriel's Career.= Mary B. Whiting. _Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow_ CONTENTS CHAP. Page I. TED DISAPPROVES 9 II. AN EXCITING DAY 22 III. TED DOES NOT THINK MUCH OF THE GUIDES 29 IV. THE FANATICS 40 V. THE CAD OF THE REGIMENT 46 VI. THE OUTBREAK OF THE MUTINY 52 VII. WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE 60 VIII. THE FIGHT IN THE ARSENAL 69 IX. DEFENCE OF THE COMMISSIONER'S HOUSE 89 X. HOPE AND DESPAIR 104 XI. IN THE CLUTCHES OF PIR BAKSH 111 XII. THE TREACHERY OF THE GUIDES 122 XIII. TYNAN MAKES HIS CHOICE 134 XIV. THE MARCH OF THE GUIDE CORPS 145 XV. TED'S FIRST BATTLE 154 XVI. THE POST OF HONOUR 162 XVII. WITH THE GURKHA PICKET 173 XVIII. TED'S HOPES ARE RAISED AND DASHED TO THE GROUND 181 XIX. TED'S FRIENDS ARE BEWILDERED 201 XX. AN ADVENTURE ON THE RIDGE 214 XXI. WOMBWELL'S MENAGERIE 229 XXII. TED DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF 243 XXIII. TED EXTINGUISHES HIMSELF 255 XXIV. PIR BAKSH RENDERS TYNAN A SERVICE 266 XXV. TO THE RESCUE 282 XXVI. LUCKNOW RELIEVED 298 XXVII. AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE NANA SAHIB 312 XXVIII. THE FINAL SCENE AT LUCKNOW 330 XXIX.