He had a partner called Jeffreys; a stupid honest sort of fellow who believed in him.

I had a newspaper sent me with an account of an inquest on poor Jeffreys, who had gone out of his mind after some heavy losses.

There was no special reason to connect Halgrove with the losses, except that Jeffreys would never have dreamed of speculating if he hadn't been led on.

And it's only fair to Halgrove to say that after the event he offered to take charge of Jeffreys' boy, at that time eight years old.

That shows there was some good in him." "Unless," suggested Captain Forrester, "there was some money along with the boy." "Well, I dare say if he's alive still, Rimbolt will know something of him; so I may come across him yet," said the major; and there the conversation ended.
Major Atherton's prophecy of a brush with the enemy was not long in being fulfilled.
Early next day the expeditionary force was ordered forward, the cavalry regiment in which the two friends were officers being sent ahead to reconnoitre and clear the passes.
The march lay for some distance along a rocky valley, almost desolate of habitations, and at parts so cumbered with rocks and stones as to be scarcely passable by the horses, still less by the artillery, which struggled forward in front of the main body.