knee. In short, he worried them as Paul
worried his Russian guards.

Now, a soldier grows rusty in idleness,
no doubt; but when he is harassed by causeless
and perpetual toil he is apt to become
sulky. When the war ended, every rider
of the brigade would have died in Daintry's
defence. A few months of annoyance
changed this devotion into dislike, fast
ripening into hatred. It was then that I was
appointed to be Daintry's brigade-major, to
his great disgust, for he was not above the
weakness of nepotism. Two of his regiments
were commanded by his sons-in-law, both of
whom were young for such a trust, and he
had solicited my post for his wife's nephew,
on the laudable principle of taking care of
Dowb. However, rumours of the discontent
among the men had reached head-quarters,
and it was preferred to select a brigade-major
who might mediate between the brigade and
its rash chief, and who would not be a mere
mouthpiece to the commandant.

I had been chosen, as being well acquainted
with the language and the native habits of
thought; and, found little difficulty in gaining
the confidence of many of the soldiers and
havildars. But, with the brigadier I had
another sort of task. He disliked me, as
having accepted the post his nephew had
asked for, on which account he offered me a
hundred petty slights, and even requested
the mess to send me to "Coventry." Also,
he quietly made up his mind to neglect
every suggestion or remonstrance I could
possibly make. For me to oppose an
innovation was enough to confirm the brigadier
in his decision. As the old officers dropped
off or were got rid of, their places were filled
by boys, who knew no more of Hindustani
than of Swedish, and were utterly ignorant
of Hindoo or Mussulman usages. And
before long, Daintry announced the advent
of a thorough and sweeping reform. The
irregular troopers were to learn infantry drill,
and to SHAVE OFF THEIR BEARDS. When I
first heard this, I could not believe the
commander to be serious. But he swore he
would not rest until the chins of his grim
Patans and Rajpoots were as destitute of
beard or moustache as the palm of his hand.

The youngsters who had just joined,
applauded mightily. Fresh from Addiscombe
or Rugby, they thought it would be "such a
capital joke to shave the old bearded billy-
goats." In vain I remonstrated, argued,
and begged for delay. Daintry's headstrong
nature would bear no check. He, long as
he had been in India, had learned but one-
half of the native character. Many fall into
the same error. They see the submissive
timidity, the ductile obedience, of the native;
his deference to authority or assumption;
his childish reverence for rank; and
they think there are no limits to his
endurance. Some day they are terribly
undeceived. So it was in this case. The order
was read out on parade; and even the
instincts of discipline could not restrain a
murmur that gradually swelled into a shout
of indignation. One regiment in especial,
sent in a memorial, which I read with surprise,
so just and temperate was its language.
"We are horsemen," said the soldiers, "and
the sons of horsemen, and have shed our
blood under your banners. If you are
displeased with us, give us our discharge. We
will go, blessing you for your bread and salt
that we have eaten. But we were not hired
for the drill of foot soldiers, and to that
degradation we cannot submit." Daintry
swore like a Bedlamite. To crown all, he
ordered the regiment to come on parade
SHAVED. The regiment paraded, but not a
man had complied. The brigadier selected
two sergeants, both Mahometans, a Patan
and a Belooch, and ordered his servants to
hold them down on the ground while their
beards were shaved off by a barber.

To realise the full effect of this most
unwise order, one should remember that a
Mahometan invests his beard with a species
of sanctity, tends it with jealous care, values
it above his life, swears by it his most solemn,
oaths, and resents an affront to it as the
worst of insults. One should remember,
also, that these men were all, Moslem and
Hindoo, of good parentage, sons of
landholders, Potails and Zemindars: military
adventurers, in fact, who possess horses and
weapons of their own, and by themselves
and their officers are styled and considered
gentlemen, being all of a class far superior
to that which furnishes the sepoy. The
regiment looked on in sullen silence, and no
immediate outbreak took place.

But, at dawn next morning, I was awakened
by finding Daintry in full dress, spurred and
booted, at my bedside.

"Up with you," said he, more good-
humouredly than usual; "your horse is
being saddled. You must ride with me, for
there's a mutiny, by—— ."

"I told you how it would turn out," said
I, rubbing my eyes, and reluctantly rising.
I was not five minutes dressing, and off we
galloped, with a dozen troopers and armed
peons at our heels. There, on a round hill,
a red flag was flying, the flag of mutiny. A
drum was beating and already a crowd of
disaffected soldiers had collected, and more
were gathering by twos and threes.

The ringleaders, conspicuous among the
others, were the two Mussulmans who had
been so roughly used the day before. When,
we approached, a hundred carbines were
pointed at us. Daintry tried to address the
mutineers. A yell drowned his voice. I made
the next essay, and succeeded better.

"The brigadier may approach," called out
the Patan ringleader, "but no armed men
shall come near us, only the chief and his
brigade-major."

And they presented their weapons at the