"There are fifteen which can be fairly counted to us, sir, and nineteen
here."

"That's a respectable total. Fall in, lads," he said to the men who had
gathered round, "and let us get back. You will be glad to hear that these
officers have escaped from the massacre at Sandynugghur."

There was a hearty cheer of satisfaction from the men, for Englishmen were
knit very closely together in those terrible days. Then, falling in, the
two companies of the Sixtieth Rifles marched back again to their
cantonments at Meerut.




CHAPTER VI.

A DASHING EXPEDITION.


On arriving at the cantonments, the party were soon surrounded by the
troops, who had been called under arms at the sound of distant firing, but
had been dismissed again on the arrival of a message to the effect that
the enemy had fled. The news had spread rapidly that some fugitives had
escaped from Sandynugghur, where it was supposed that the massacre had
been general; and officers pressed forward to shake their hands, and the
men uttered words of kindly congratulation and welcome. The greeting
swelled into a cheer as the detachment fell out, and, scattering among
their comrades, told of the desperate defense, and of the slaughter