It is a good thing we thrashed the Afridis, two years ago.
If we had not, you may be sure that there would be an even more formidable rising on our northern frontier than that we quelled.
News travels marvellously fast, in India; the Afridis always seem to know what is going on elsewhere, and I am pretty sure that they would be up, all over the country, if they had not had to give up the greater portion of their rifles, and had not more than enough to do to rebuild their houses.

So we have something to be thankful for." "I am glad that Marchand business did not come off just at the present time," Hallett said.

"You may be sure that we should have had a war with France; it was a mighty near thing, as it was." "Yes; I think they would not have backed down, if we had been busy with Boers, Chinese, and black men.

They were at fever heat as it was; and we could have done nothing, if we had had two hundred and fifty thousand men engaged at the Cape." "It would have made no difference," Lisle said, scornfully, "we have plenty of soldiers at home.

Every barrack was crowded with men, as we came away; and there were a great number of the militia and volunteers, to back them up.