"No, thank you, sir," Dick said, laughing. "By the time this is over, I
shall have had enough of land service to last my life."

"I have already sent down a report to the admiral of your conduct,"
General Havelock said; "and as a naval brigade is coming up under Captain
Peel, you will be able to sail under your true colors before long. Now for
your instructions. You are to inform Colonel Inglis, who is in command
since the death of Sir H. Lawrence, that, although I am on the point of
endeavoring to push forward to his rescue, I have no hope whatever of
success. Across the river large forces of Oude irregulars, with guns, are
collected, and every step of the way will be contested. I must leave a
force to hold Cawnpore, and I have only eleven hundred bayonets in all.
With such a force as this it is impossible, if the enemy resists as
stubbornly as may be expected, for me to fight my way to Lucknow, still
more to force my way through the city, held by some ten or fifteen
thousand men, to the Residency, I may say that I have no hope of doing
this till I am largely reinforced. Still, my making a commencement of a
march, and standing constantly on the offensive, will force the enemy to
keep a large force on the road to oppose me, and will in so far relieve
the Residency from some of its foes. You see the importance of your
message. Did the enemy know my weakness, they would be able to turn their
whole force against the Residency. Tell our countrymen there that they
must hold out to the last, but that I hope and believe that in a month
from the present time the reinforcements will be up, and that I shall be
able to advance to their rescue. Colonel Inglis says that their stores
will last to the end of August, and that he believes that he can repel all
attacks. The native who goes with you bears word only that I am on the
point of advancing to the relief of the garrison. So if the worst happens,
and you are all taken, his message, if he betrays it, will only help to