Men frequently lose their nerve after a heavy
fall from a horse, or a sudden attack by a tiger, or any other
unexpected shock. It may be that with you it has had the reverse
consequence."
"I hope to God that it may be so, Doctor," Bathurst said, with deep
earnestness. "It is certainly extraordinary I should not have felt
it when they fired within a few feet of my head. If we get down
to Allahabad I will try. I will place myself near a gun when it is
going to be fired; and if I stand that I will come up again and join
this column as a volunteer, and take part in the work of vengeance.
If I can but once bear my part as a man, they are welcome to kill
me in the next engagement."
"Pooh! pooh! man. You are not born to be killed in battle. After
making yourself a target on the roof at Deennugghur, and jumping
down in the middle of the Sepoys in the breach, and getting through
that attack in the boats, I don't think you are fated to meet your
end with a bullet. Well, now let us walk on, and join the others.
Isobel must be wondering how much longer we are going to talk
together. She cannot exchange a word with the natives; it must be
dull work for her. She is a great deal thinner than she was before
these troubles came on. You see how differently she walks. She
has quite lost that elastic step of hers, but I dare say that is a
good deal due to her walking with bare feet instead of in English
boots--boots have a good deal to do with a walk.
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