the 3rd of April Mangul Pandy, who had only wounded himself, was hung, and
the same doom was allotted to a native officer of his regiment, for
refusing to order the men to assist the officer attacked by that mutineer,
and for himself inciting the men to rise against the government.

"What do you think of the news, papa?" Dick asked his father.

"I hope that the example which has been set by the execution of these
ringleaders, and by the disbandment of the Nineteenth, may have a
wholesome effect, Dick; but we shall see before long."

It needed no great lapse of time to show that this lesson had been
ineffectual. From nearly every station throughout Bengal and the northwest
provinces came rumors of disaffection; at Agra, at Umballah, and at other
places incendiary fires broke out with alarming frequency, letters were
from time to time intercepted, calling upon the Sepoys to revolt, while at
Lucknow serious disturbances occurred, and the Seventh Regiment were
disarmed by Sir Henry Lawrence, the Commissioner of Oude. So the month of
April passed, and as it went on the feeling of disquiet and danger grew
deeper and more general. It was like the anxious time preceding a
thunderstorm, the cloud was gathering, but how or when it would burst none
could say. Many still maintained stoutly that there was no danger
whatever, and that the whole thing would blow over; but men with wives and
families were generally inclined to take a more somber view of the case.
Nor is this to be wondered at. The British form an almost inappreciable
portion of the population of India; they are isolated in a throng of
natives, outnumbered by a thousand to one. A man might therefore well feel
his helplessness to render any assistance to those dear to him in the
event of a general uprising of the people. Soldiers without family ties
take things lightly, they are ready for danger and for death if needs be,