There were majors of over fifty years of age, and if a 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..