The Irish doctor who stood over the litter on which Owen reclined wagged his head knowingly while he lifted an admonishing finger.
"As dead as enny donkey, me bhoy, so ye will, and jest ye take the warnin'. 'Tis said you're a fire-eater, and that ye've seen as much of the campaign or of the fightin' as enny. Oi believe it. Where did ye start?"
"At Ahmednuggur, sir. Then we went on to Assaye."
"And from there, me bhoy? Ye've not been idle since?"
"I was sent to Holkar with a despatch, and afterwards came through here with more despatches for General Lake."
"Thin ye've been busy, because Assaye and Indore are miles from here. Bedad, it must have taken days[Pg 311] to cover the country. And what kept ye at Indore? Some fascinating beauty in Holkar's court? Ah, hah! me bhoy, don't tell me it was duty. 'Tis a little flirtation of your own ye've been looking afther, and sure that's why Holkar put ye in the jug, so it is."
The doctor roared at Owen's obvious indignation, while our hero soon joined in the laughter, for he saw that this new friend of his was only making fun. He sat up in his litter and addressed him eagerly.
"That's it, sir, and I'm dreadfully anxious to get up and out of this. When shall I be fit? I feel well and strong now, and am sure I shall be able to return to duty within a day or so."
"Ye will, will ye? Thin ye'll have to learn that ye've to stay where ye are for a week. Ha! ha! A week, me bhoy, and even thin Oi may keep ye. And jist remimber. Ye're lucky to be alive at all, so ye are, for that bit of a bullet gave ye a nasty clip. Now if it had happened to hit thrue and straight, why——"
"I shouldn't have been bothering you, sir."