man were a general at seventy he was considered fortunate and young.
The jealousy with which younger men were regarded would have been
humorous had it not come already so near to plunging India into anarchy.

He did not even trouble to overlook the garrison. He took his leave,
and rode away the long two-day ride to his own place, where a sadly
attenuated rent-roll and a very sadly thinned-down company of servants
waited his coming. There, through fourteen hurried, excited days, he
made certain arrangements about the disposition of his affairs during
an even longer absence; he made certain sales--pledged the rent of
fifty acres for ten years, in return for an advance--and on the
fifteenth day rode southward, at the head of a five-man escort that,
for quality, was worthy of a prince.

A little less than three months later he arrived at Bombay, and by dint
of much hard bargaining and economy fitted out himself and his escort,
so that each man looked as though he were the owner of an escort of his
own. Then, fretful at every added day that strained his
fast-diminishing resources, he settled down to wait until the ship
should come that brought young Cunningham.



CHAPTER V


Lies home beneath a sickly sun,
Where humbleness was taught me?
Or here, where spurs my father won
On bended knee are brought me?