Unfortunately, the extent of the city and the necessity for the employment of a large proportion of the British force in the actual assault, had prevented anything like a complete investment of the town, and the consequence had been that after the fall of the Kaiser Bagh, by far the greater portion of the rebel force in the city had been able to march away without molestation.
Before leaving, Mallett had an interview with George Lechmere, who was now out of danger.
"I should have known you now, Lechmere," he said, as he came to his bedside.

"Of course you are still greatly changed, but you are getting back your old expression, and I hope that in the course of two or three months you will be able to take your place in the ranks again." "I don't know, sir.

I ain't fit to stay with the regiment, and have thought of being invalided home and then buying my discharge.

I know you have said nothing as to how you got that wound, not even to the doctor; for if you had done so there is not a man in hospital who would have spoken to me.

But how could I join the regiment again?
knowing that if there was any suspicion of what I had done, every man would draw away from me, and that there would be nothing for me to do but to put a bullet in my head." "But no one ever will know it.