“Every inch a soldier, and every inch a Christian,”—­that was an exact description of this man.

Even the day he got married to Hannah Marshman, the missionary’s daughter, he showed that he was a soldier before all else.  For, having been suddenly summoned to attend a military court of inquiry at twelve o’clock on his wedding day, he got married at an earlier hour than he had previously arranged, took a quick boat to Calcutta, returning to his bride when his business of the day was finished.

Time passed on, and the leader of “the saints” was still but a junior lieutenant, though he had been seventeen years in the army.  Thrice were his hopes of promotion raised, and thrice doomed to disappointment.

Still he murmured not.  “I have only two wishes,” he would say.  “I pray that in life and death I may glorify God, and that my wife and children may be provided for.”

Heavy trials befel him.  Death laid its hand on his little boy Ettrick, and another child was so burnt in a fire that happened at their bungalow that he died also, whilst his beloved wife narrowly escaped the same fate.  Yet he bore all this with patience.

Stern commander though he was, his men loved him so much that they wanted to give him a month of their pay to assist him in the loss of means occasioned by the fire.

Though their offer was refused, yet Havelock could not but be thankful for the kind feeling which prompted it.

At length, after over twenty years’ service, he became a captain.

In the Afghan war Havelock was with General Sale at Jellalabad at the time that Dr. Brydon brought the news of the massacre of our men by the Afghans; and during the anxious time that followed he was able to render good service in the field and at the council table.

He fought in the battles of Moodkee, Ferozeshah, and Sobraon.  At the first-named he had two horses shot under him; and in all he distinguished himself by coolness and bravery.

When the terrible mutiny broke out in India in the year 1857, the hour of dire emergency had come, and with it had come the man.  “Your excellency,” said Sir Patrick Grant, presenting Havelock to Lord Canning, “I have brought the man.”

That was on 17th June, 1857.

Two days later Havelock was appointed to the command of the little army.  His instructions were that, “after quelling all disturbances at Allahabad, he should not lose a moment in supporting Sir Henry Lawrence at Lucknow, and Sir Hugh Wheeler at Cawnpore; and that he should take prompt measures for dispersing and utterly destroying all mutineers and insurgents”.

A large order that to tell a commander with 2000 men, to take a dozen fortified places defended by ten times the number of his own force!

Not a moment was to be lost, for both cities were in deadly peril.

Alas!  Early on the 1st July came news of the terrible massacre of the Cawnpore garrison,—­men, women and children slain in one wanton, heartless slaughter, which still makes the blood run cold to read about.