And did the youth remember his prayers and vows?  He did, though not at first,—­yet after a little while he did.  He read the word of God, he prayed for the Spirit of God, and at length he enjoyed the peace of God; and now he neither fears storm nor sword, because Christ is his shelter and his shield.

BELOOCHISTAN.

Just underneath Affghanistan, lies Beloochistan, by the sea coast.  It is separated from India by the river Indus.  You may know a Beloochee from an Affghan by his stiff red cotton cap, in the shape of a hat without a brim; whereas, an Affghan wears a turban.  Yet the religion of the Beloochee is the same as that of the Affghan, namely, the Mahomedan, and the character is alike, only the Beloochee is the fiercer of the two:  the country also is alike, being wild and rocky.

Beloochistan has not been conquered by the British:  it has a king of its own; yet the British have fought against Beloochistan.  On one occasion a British army was sent to punish the king of Beloochistan for not having sent corn to us, as he had promised.

The army consisted of three thousand men, and amongst them was the young soldier, of whom you have heard so much already.  His father was ill at the time, and could not fight; but the youth came upon his pony, with a camel to carry his tent, and all his baggage.

The troops as usual marched in the night.  In the morning, about eight o’clock, they first caught sight of Kelat, the capital of Beloochistan.  It was a grand sight, for the city is built on a high hill, with a citadel at the top.  The dark Beloochees were seen thronging about the walls and the towers, gazing at the British army, but not daring to approach them.

Our soldiers, when they first arrived, were too much tired to begin the attack, and therefore they rested on the grass for two hours.  At ten o’clock the word of command was given, and the attack was made.  The British planted their six cannons opposite the gates, and began to fire.

Where was the young soldier?  He was commanded to run with his company close up to the wall, and there to remain.  As he ran, he was exposed to the full fire of the enemy.  The youth heard bullets whizzing by as he passed, and he expected every moment that some ball would lay him low; but through the mercy of God he reached the wall in safety. Close underneath the wall was not a dangerous post, for the bullets passed over the heads of those standing there.

About noon, the British cannons had destroyed the gates.  Then the British soldiers rushed into the town.  Amongst the first to enter was the young soldier; because when the gates fell he was standing close by.  As he passed along the streets, he saw no one but the dead and the dying; for the Beloochees had fled for refuge to their citadel on the top of the hill.  The king himself was there.