"Is it true, Captain Sahib, that Henry Larens is dead? Tell us it is false."

Jim's voice faltered. Henry Lawrence had been the hero he had worshipped.

"It is true," said he, simply.

"I would have given my life to save his, sahib," said the old Sikh. "His was the brain that raised the Corps of Guides, and he it was who gave me my commission. Oh, my brothers, a great man is dead! Let us go and mourn for Larens Sahib."

The veteran drew his sword and shook it at the sepoys on the walls.

"Wait a little while," he added, "and there will be many mourners in that den of jackals."

The heat was now terrible--a torture that could not be imagined by the people at home; that took the life and energy from the strongest, while as for the others--well, they must suffer the fate of the weak. In the daytime the pitiless Indian sun blazed down upon them, awful in its power and wrath, and at night they gasped for air, and choked, and cursed, or grimly joked, or called upon God, according to their nature.

Ted Russell, healthy and in good condition, with no superfluous flesh, suffered less than most. He had one slight attack of cholera in the early days of July. One day, having been on duty all night, he lay within the house, in little more than bathing-costume, vainly trying to snatch an hour's sleep, for the Mori guns were hard at work. Overhead the sky was of a uniform deep-blue, broken only by the mass of fire almost directly above, and by the haze along the horizon.

As if by magic, the thundering of the guns from the Delhi bastions ceased, and the well-known strains of our National Anthem were wafted by the south wind from the Mogul city.

"'God Save the Queen!'" gasped Ted. "What's the meaning of that?"

All listened in bewilderment. What could it mean? Had the sepoys suddenly repented and become loyal again? As the band ceased, the big guns of the city thundered forth a royal salute, and then were silent as the band again played "God Save the Queen!".

"What cheek! What awful cheek!" Alec indignantly exclaimed. "Well, that beats everything!"

"What is it?" asked Ted again. "What are they playing that tune for?"

"They are mocking us," Claud Boldre angrily replied. "They have heard what we heard this morning. The curs have captured Agra town, and now I suppose they're gloating over their victory and making fun of us."

His guess was true; the sepoys had taken this strange method of celebrating their triumph. It shows they were not without some sense of humour.

Among the crowd attracted to the "Flagstaff" meeting-place by the unusual strains were many of our hero's new chums. Both he and Alec had formed close friendships with a number of the junior officers from the camp below the Ridge, and Ted particularly had become very popular. He had both proved himself courageous and shown good commonsense, and he never once attempted to put on "side". The terrible danger he had gone through at Aurungpore had steadied down his love of fun and joking, and made him realize his responsibilities. Had he come straight to Delhi without having undergone that trying experience in the arsenal, he would soon have found some mischief in which to entangle his Guides and Gurkhas. They would have been only too delighted to have joined in any fun, however rash and hazardous.

"I say, Russell," observed Ensign Collins of the 8th Foot, "you're a lucky beggar, you know. You've had your fair share of the fun."

"Fair share!" growled Claud Boldre. "Why, in his twelve months' service he's had more than most colonels can boast of in as many years. First he goes exploding magazines up and down the country, and instead of being blown up he gets the V.C. Then he's boxed up and besieged, and thrillingly rescued like a scene out of a melodrama; after that he's lucky enough to take part in the grandest march on record; and now he's on duty at Hindu Rao's picket, where all the fighting is. Fair share, indeed! It ought to have been divided amongst half a dozen of us."

"And it ain't that he's particularly handsome," laughed Alec.

Ted grinned. He was too decent a fellow to become conceited, and he admitted that he had had more than his share of the luck.

They were still joking when something happened that tended to confirm their belief in our ensign's luck. One of the general's aides came up and told Ted that Sir Archdale wished to speak to him at once.

"You'll come back a lieutenant at least, Ted," was Alec's unasked-for opinion.

"Lieutenant indeed!" laughed Collins. "I expect he's going to order Russell to blow up Delhi _a la_ Aurungpore."

"Or else resign the command in Russell's favour," was Boldre's suggestion.

Ted grinned back at them all, but his heart beat somewhat rapidly as he was ushered into the head-quarters tent, and it was to beat much more wildly before he left.

Sir Archdale looked up as the boy entered, and went on with his work for some moments, and Ted stood at attention and wondered what was going to happen. At length the general again glanced up from his papers. He was evidently very busy.

"You sent for me, sir?" Ted faltered.

"Yes. I am sorry that my duty is much less pleasant than on the previous occasion, when I prematurely raised your hopes of the V.C."

Ted gasped.

"I hope it may still be all right," General Wilson continued, "but this morning I received notice from Colonel Munro that there is another claimant to the honour of having exploded the magazine at Aurungpore."

Ted was utterly bewildered. He could not find a word to say.

"It seems that another officer of yours--let me see," the general took up a letter that lay on the table, and referred thereto. "Ah, Ensign Tynan!--was taken prisoner by the sepoys, but rescued; and his story is that he was in command of the party holding the fort, and that it was he who fired the train. His account is confirmed by a native officer who saved his life, and who was present."

"Why, sir, there was no native officer in the party," Ted exclaimed, "no one higher than a havildar, and he was with me all the time.--So Tynan is really alive, sir?"

"Evidently. Of course, I am in no position to judge between you, and I know nothing beyond the bald facts just related. If you dispute his statements an enquiry will have to be held later."

"His statements!" said Ted indignantly. "Why, sir, he implored me to surrender, and not to fire the train, and Ambar Singh, the havildar, will bear me out. Thinking he was dead, I never told that to a soul, sir; but if he has lied in this way, he deserves to be shown up."

"I trust that no British officer would act as you allege, Ensign Russell," said the general coldly. "At present I can say nothing more, and I am very busy. Rest assured that justice will be done."

Ted saluted stiffly, and walked out. If he had felt dazed on the previous occasion, what were his feelings now? Full of indignation against his dishonourable messmate, and of intense disappointment because of the probable loss of the coveted honour, he strode back to the Gurkha picket, and told Jim and Paterson what had happened.

They could hardly credit the story. They both knew Tynan's character, and Alec had heard Ambar Singh's free version of the incident, and they felt no doubt regarding the result of any enquiry.

"Don't be downcast, Ted, old boy," said Jim affectionately. "It will soon be all right."

"But who can the native officer be?" Alec wondered. "It's a mystery."

"I can't make it out," Ted replied. "Anyway Ambar Singh and Dwarika Rai will give evidence, and then where will Master Tynan be?"

"But look here, Ted," said his brother in an agitated voice. "Where are those two? They may have been drafted into some other regiment and sent a thousand miles away, or both may be killed. Or they may have been allowed to return home, and have left no trace. In that case it would be your word against Tynan's, and though no one who knows you both could have any doubt, yet his word will be as good as yours at the enquiry. I do hope it will come out all right, old boy."

"I'm sure it will," said Alec. "Cheer up, Ted!"

More easily said than done, and our ensign went about his work with a heavy and angry heart. Fortunately for his peace of mind, when the news spread, Boldre, Collins, and all his chums rallied round him, and voted the absent Tynan a beast and a liar.

CHAPTER XIX

Ted's Friends are Bewildered

The 4th Sikhs had left Aurungpore for Delhi, and the fort was garrisoned by a corps of the newly-recruited Punjab Irregulars, of whom Major Munro was in command, with Leigh as his second in command. Colonel Woodburn was now able to hobble about, helped by a stick and his daughter's arm.

Sir Arthur Fletcher had resumed the administration of justice, the shops were open once more, and the town had settled down almost to its normal state.

One day late in June Ethel and her father were seated in the officers'