I can quite understand his feeling about it.

If I were placed as he is, and were called upon to fight, I should take a dose of prussic acid at once.

Men talk: about their civilization, but we are little better than savages in our instincts.

Courage is an almost useless virtue in a civilized community, but if it is called for, we despise a man in whom it is wanting, just as heartily as our tattooed ancestors did.

Of course, in him it is a purely constitutional failing, and I have no doubt he would be as brave as a lion in any other circumstances--in fact, the incident of his attacking the tiger with that dog whip of his shows that he is so; and yet, if he should fail when the lives of women are at stake it would be a kindness to give him that dose of prussic acid, especially as Isobel Hannay will be here.
That is the hardest part of it to him, I can see." Three days later the force at Deennugghur was increased by the arrival of a troop of native cavalry, under a Captain Forster, who had just returned from leave in England.
"Do you know Captain Forster, Doctor ?" Isobel Hannay asked, on the afternoon of his arrival.