'Ill? He has been at death's door. Haven't you heard of what he did?' 'I heard that he was travelling through the country with a small escort.' 'Yes, actually, after the mutiny at Meerut, when the troops were going off, regiment after regiment, like so many fire-rockets. I should think such a feat was never done before--rode through the most disturbed districts with only about fifty men, and not a soul molested him until he was close to Meerut.' Here Bertie gave a dramatic account of the ambush near Meerut, and of how, by his pluck and resource, the General had extricated himself from it. 'What a grand old fellow he is!' said Tom, who had been listening with the deepest interest. 'And he is better?' 'We hope so, physically at least; but his mind is, for the present, curiously astray. I am sometimes afraid that it is a case of heart-break. He can't get over the treachery of the troops, especially of his own pet regiment, and he can't forgive himself for bringing his people over. If he knew for certain that his eldest daughter was safe I think it would go far towards restoring him.' 'Ah!' groaned Tom, 'that is just it. If any of us knew!' 'I thought you wrote----' 'What I wrote was true then. I had reason to believe that I had a clue, but I lost it again. I should tell you that I have been in constant communication with Nowgong for some time. One of the most trusted of my servants went there several weeks ago. We were certain the detachment there would rise, and I offered an asylum to all the ladies. The officers refused, and we tried to persuade Miss Elton to come away with her cousin and another lady, but she declined. In all the station there was the most insane confidence in the native troops. Seeing I could do nothing personally, I sent my servant to watch, and stationed men of my own in the neighbouring villages. I started for Jhansi, hoping to gain the protection of the Ranee for our poor friends there. But I was taken by a troop of Dost Ali Khan's soldiers, and kept prisoner for three days. When I got away it was too late.' 'What?' gasped Bertie, who had not yet heard these awful news. 'You don't mean to say that they were----?' He could not finish. 'Massacred, every one of them, except a little child whom I saved and brought back with me,' said Tom very sadly. Bertie groaned. 'I had friends there,' he faltered. 'Poor devils! Well----' 'It was a swift death,' said Tom. 'They gave themselves up, as they had no food, and they were brought out together. The horror was soon over. I saw them lying out under the stars.'