“Why not yours?” said Dick hurriedly.
“Because I want you,” was the reply.
Wyatt deferred his departure to the last minute, and before leaving upon the elephant and with the guard the Rajah had sent, he summoned Sergeant Stubbs and announced to him that he was to act for the time being as a commissioned officer.
“You will help Mr Darrell in every way you can?” said Wyatt.
“Of course, sir.”
“And, Mr Darrell, you will have an orderly on duty ready to send me a despatch if any emergency occurs. That is all, I think;” and he mounted and rode off.
A peculiar feeling of awe came over Dick as the last echo of the horses’ trampling feet died out. It was almost indescribable, for he was conscious of being horribly alone and left to his own resources in a place where he was surrounded by enemies. He felt horribly young and helpless, and as if the great responsibility was crushing him down to such an extent that he must run away from it all before matters drove him wild.
The sensation was horrible while it lasted, and in a despairing way he felt that he was hopelessly overburdened, far more so than he could bear, and that everything now was sure to go wrong.
“Suppose,” he argued, “the wounded get worse, and Hulton was to die.
“Suppose the men object to having nobody in command but me.