My servants gave a wonderful account of the many perils they had encountered--somewhat exaggerated, I dare say--but they had done me a real good service, having marched 200 miles through a very disturbed country, and arriving with animals and baggage in good order.

Indeed, throughout the Mutiny my servants behaved admirably.

The _khidmatgar_ (table attendant) never failed to bring me my food under the hottest fire, and the _saices_ (grooms) were always present with the horses whenever they were required, apparently quite indifferent to the risks they often ran.

Moreover, they became imbued with such a warlike spirit that, when I was invalided in April, 1858, four of them enlisted in a regiment of Bengal Cavalry.

The _khidmatgar_ died soon after the Mutiny, but two of his brothers were afterwards in my service; one, who was with me during the Lushai expedition and the whole of the Afghan war, never left me for more than twenty years, and we parted with mutual regret at Bombay on board the P.and O.steamer in which I took my final departure from India in April, 1893.
Mine was not a solitary instance; not only the officers' servants, but the followers belonging to European regiments, such as cook-boys, _saices_ and _bhisties_ (water-carriers), as a rule, behaved in the most praiseworthy manner, faithful and brave to a degree.