"I am going off to find the four men who came down with me, see if they are comfortable, and tell them that the general will give them the message to their chief, tomorrow."
"What will be the next thing, Mr. Bullen?"
"The next thing will be to go to the bazaar, and choose some presents for the chief and his family."
"What do you mean to get?"
"I think a brace of revolvers, and a good store of ammunition for the chief. As to the women I must, I suppose, get something in the way of dress. For the other men I shall get commoner things. Everyone has been most kind to me, and I should certainly like them to have some remembrance of my stay.
"I suppose that there is five months' pay waiting for me in the paymaster's chest."
"I should doubt it extremely," the colonel said. "You will get it in time, but you will have to wait. You have been struck off the regimental pay list, ever since you were put down as dead; and I expect the paymaster will have to get a special authorization, before you can draw your back pay."
"I was only joking, Colonel. My agent at Calcutta has my money in his hands, and I have only to draw on him."
"So much the better, Bullen. It is always a nuisance getting into debt, even when you are certain that funds will be forthcoming which will enable you to repay what you owe. But have you enough to carry you on till you hear from your agent?"
"Plenty, sir; I left all the money I did not care to carry about with me in the regimental till."