appearance was distinguished and commanding, with a sense of power about him which to my mind was the result of his having passed so much of his life amongst the wild and lawless tribesmen, with whom his authority was supreme.  Intercourse with this man amongst men made me more eager than ever to remain on the frontier, and I was seized with ambition to follow in his footsteps.  Had I never seen Nicholson again, I might have thought that the feelings with which he inspired me were to some extent the result of my imagination, excited by the astonishing stories I had heard of his power and influence; my admiration, however, for him was immeasurably strengthened when, a few weeks later, I served as his staff officer, and had opportunities of observing more closely his splendid soldierly qualities and the workings of his grand, simple mind.

[Illustration:  BRIGADIER-GENERAL JOHN NICHOLSON, C.B.

From a painting by J.R.  Dicksee, in the possession of the Reverend Canon Seymour.]

It was the end of April when I returned to Peshawar from Cherat, and rapidly getting hot.  On the strength of being a D.A.Q.M.G., I had moved into a better house than I had hitherto been able to afford, which I shared with Lieutenant Hovenden of the Engineers.  We were just settling down and making ourselves comfortable for the long hot weather, when all our plans were upset by the breaking out of the Mutiny.

[Footnote 1:  See ’Memorials of the Life and Letters of Major-General Sir Herbert Edwardes.’]

[Footnote 2:  ‘Memorials of Major-General Sir Herbert Edwardes.’]

[Footnote 3:  Ibid.]

CHAPTER VI. 1857

  First tidings of the mutiny—­Prompt action at Peshawar
  —­A bold policy—­The Movable Column—­An annoying occurrence
  —­I leave Peshawar

The first threatenings of coming trouble were heard in the early part of 1857.  During the months of February, March, and April, rumours reached us at Peshawar of mysterious chupattis (unleavened cakes) being sent about the country with the object, it was alleged, of preparing the Natives for some forthcoming event.  There was also an evident feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction in the minds of the sepoys.  We heard that the 19th Native Infantry at Berhampur, a military station about 100 miles from Calcutta, had broken open the bells-of-arms,[1] and forcibly taken possession of their muskets and ammunition; that a sepoy named Mangal Pandy,[2] belonging to the 34th Native Infantry at Barrackpore, had attacked and severely wounded the Adjutant and Sergeant-Major of his regiment; that it was found necessary to disband the 19th on the 30th March, and the 34th on the 6th May; that bungalows had been burnt in several stations; and that the sepoys at the Schools of Musketry had objected to use the cartridges served out with the new rifles, because, it was asserted, they were greased with a mixture of cow’s fat and lard, the one being as obnoxious to the prejudices of the Hindu as the other is to those of the Mussulman.