And at the end of it, when the bugles blew at last
"Cease fire," and many of the men were marched away by companies
to put out the conflagrations that were blazing here and there, he
led them outside the city-wall, stood them at ease in their own line
and saluted their commanding-officer.
"Twenty men of yours, sir. Present and correct."
"Which twenty?"
"Of Mr. Blair's half-company."
"Where's Mr. Blair?"
"Dunno, sir!"
"Since when have you had charge of them?"
"Since they broke into the city yesterday, sir."
"And you haven't lost a man?"
"Had lots of luck, sir!"
"Who are you, anyway?"
"I'm Sergeant Brown, sir."
"Of the Rifles?"
"Of the Rifles, sir."
"Were you the man who signaled to us from the magazine and blew it
up and made the breach in the wall for us to enter by?"
"Yes, sir."
"Are you alive, or dead? Man or ghost?"
"I'm pretty much alive, sir, thank you!"
"D'you realize that you made the taking of Jailpore possible? That
but for you we'd have been trying still to storm the walls without
artillery?"
"I had the chance, sir, and I only did what any other man would ha'
done under like circumstances.
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