Ted and Alec laughed at the sergeant's harangue, and strolled down the road to meet the reinforcements. The short-legged, tough, little Gurkhas were almost dropping from fatigue and heat. They had marched many, many miles that day under the scorching Indian sun, and they were no more accustomed to the heat of the plains than were their British comrades. "Hurrah for the Gurkies! Three cheers for the little 'uns!" The cry was taken up by hundreds of the red-coats, who were now lining both sides of the road, cheering again and again as the weary Mongolians marched sturdily through their ranks with soldierly swagger. The little fellows grinned and tried to cheer and joke in return, but, being dead beat and almost famishing, the attempt was a failure. Many British soldiers ran out to help their new allies along, by lending the support of an arm or shoulder. "That's him, Alec!" Ted, regardless of grammar, informed his chum. He made straight for a lieutenant of the Gurkhas, a tall, jolly-looking man of about five-and-twenty, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Please, sir," said the ensign, with great deference and as vacant an expression as possible, "is there an officer of this regiment of pandies named Dorricot, because he's wanted in camp." "Pandies! you impudent puppy!" the enraged lieutenant replied. "Pandies! I like your cheek! My name's Dorricot. Who wants me?" "Please, sir, I think it's a tailor with a lot of unpaid bills--" The lieutenant opened his mouth, and, gripping Ted's wrist, looked him squarely in the face. He burst into a laugh. "Ted Russell! What on earth are you doing here, you cheeky chimpanzee?" He wrung Ted's hand heartily, and was unceremoniously introduced to Paterson. "What are you doing here, Ted?" Dorricot repeated. "Your regiment has mutinied, has it not?" "Yes. Seeing we were at liberty, the general sent for Paterson and me to come and give him a lift. We're his military advisers, ain't we, Alec?" "Oh, Ted's altogether too modest," said Paterson. "In reality he's the actual commander here, and General Barnard takes orders from him." "Oh, that's it, is it?" Dorricot replied. "Well, look here, come to my tent as soon as we've settled down. I want to have a talk with you." The Sirmur Battalion passed within the lines, and General Barnard himself came out to welcome them. "Get something to eat sharp!" he exhorted Major Reid. "Sorry you're dead beat, but we may have to turn out at any moment." Luckily this was not necessary, as the expected attack did not come off, and the tired Gurkhas were granted a few hours' well-earned rest. Soon after they had settled down our two ensigns paid the promised visit to Lieutenant Dorricot, and fought their battles over again, talking and laughing over their several adventures, interrupting, contradicting, and agreeing with one another as they discussed the situation and the causes that had combined to bring it about.