hopes of recovering some jewels and money from the ruins of his house. The scout had found him ; had given Harry's message; had been told, with much hesitation, that the English ladies had been taken away by Chokee Lall's men, after a desperate conflict; and that the Mussulman dreaded that they were both murdered! The cup of Harry Monson's grief was full to overflowing; all the horror possible in this world came rushing over him; he slipped from his saddle senseless on the ground. When he became conscious again, he found himself in some thick scrub, away from the track where he had fainted, and being sedulously attended to by Hillyer, while at a little distance off stood Ebraim Hoosain, showing even through the darkness signs of profound grief. It was all over now; there was no worst now to come; it had come and passed; and Harry Monson staggered to his feet an orphan in the world-careless and dead at heart to anything the future might have in store for him. Then Ebraim Hoosain told the simple tale: Chokee Lall had noted and followed the party as they rode away from the Chuttra bungalow, and learnt the correct movements of all; had spent some days organising his attack; had swooped down with an overwhelming force of budmashes; attacked and burnt the house; severely wounded the speaker (whose head and right arm were bound up); and taken the ladies away!

'Taken them away!' cried Harry, with renewed hope, then they may not be he could not say the word.

'Sahib,' said the Mussulman, in tones of the deepest concern, there is no doubt.'

'But I do doubt-why should Chokee Lall kill them?' asked the poor boy with the greatest eager

ness.

Hoosain made a mute gesture to Hillyer, who turned to Harry and told him there was no hope. 'But there is hope; I'll not leave this place till I learn for myself. I'll ride straight to Chuttra and see this villanous ruffian-I'll

'Sahib, it is no use your risking your life and the officer sahib's. Can you-dare you-see the proof?'

The Mussulman whispered in Hillyer's ear.

Harry, my poor fellow,' said the latter, this man has the most ample proofs-we are only risking our lives staying here

If he has proof, as he says, let him give it me. I'll not go before!'

'What must be must! I would spare you, but you will not be spared. Come with me.'

They left their horses in the thicket with the scout, and noiselessly followed Ebraim Hoosain. He took them to a deserted hut some two miles away nearer his former house-in fact, it was a cabin that one of his work-coolies had occupied.

It was deserted now; they entered, and the moonshee struck a light.

'You will see, Sahib?' he asked.

'I will.'

He turned up some rice-straw in a corner; underneath were the identical clothes worn by his mother and sister on the night of the flight; they were slashed and cut in many places, and were saturated with blood!

Harry turned pale as death; he was long past fainting now-the agony of his mind was too great for that.

'I would not believe the murder either-untilnot till my own mother went disguised to where the bodies were lying, and brought me these!'

Ebraim Hoosain, strong man as he was, shuddered all over as a horrid convulsive gasp shook the miserable son from head to foot.

'Let us go!' whispered Harry.

They regained their horses, and without one single word, the heart-torn boy resumed his lonely journey with Hillyer.

It is needless for me to say how they wandered for days in the thick jungles, houseless, foodless sometimes, hunted here and hunted there, in dangers every moment, and almost every moment expecting to meet their deaths. Suffice it to say that after countless miseries, hardships, and momentary perils, they at last reached the city of

Allahabad, and learnt for the first time the chief particulars of the fearful state of the English in India, and the little hope that existed of the country being re-conquered for a long, long, time-if, indeed, it should be ever again subdued at all.

A mere handful of men were being then got together to start on a sort of expedition for the relief of such places on the Ganges as were believed to be still holding out, and after a considerable interval of dull, gloomy existence-it could hardly be called more-Harry Monson shook off the apathy, induced by the fearful scenes he had gone through, from which he suffered, and joined, with his friend Hillyer, the Volunteer Cavalry that was to go with the relieving force.

CHAPTER IV.

DAWN AFTER NIGHT.

HARRY MONSON had seen some stricken fields, in all of which he had borne himself well, when, one fearfully hot morning, he found himself encamped some five miles from the village of Beawr, inwhich it was more than suspected a large body of the mutinous Sepoys lay. The Volunteer Cavalry which he and Hillyer had joined had been got together in those first terrible days of the mutiny,

to supply a want that was very much felt. This force, or detachment, rather, for its strength was but trifling, consisted for the most part of mere youths; some of them were only boys in years as well as in appearance, who had been scraped together anyhow, mounted and armed as well as might be, and set to do work that old and tried troopers might well have been proud of. They were to act as the eyes of the expedition to which they were attached: they were to guard it against surprise; to prepare for its attacks on the enemy; to pursue the flying foe when defeated; to watch over its safe slumbers at night; to procure, where possible, the necessary supplies for its sustenancein fact, to carry out all those most useful duties that appertain to light cavalry. And well did those lads do their work. Speaking now, after a lapse of nearly fifteen years, Captain Fred cannot be accused of partiality or a too eager enthusiasm, when he says, had there been some ten or twelve similar corps to aid the regular troops during the mutiny, that terrible outbreak would never have gained the proportions it did, and would have been crushed out much sooner than it actually was. But be that as it may, the youngsters of the corps in question proved themselves equal to any emergency that arose, and their conduct will be a model to youthful Britons for all time.

Harry Monson and Hillyer had just ridden in