G the battle." The Colonel turned to a young officer standing a little
distance away-- "Lieutenant Osarov, is it true that you recognised in
this man, when he was brought in here last night, a person whom you saw
in an English square during the progress of the battle?" "Yes, Colonel,
I did!" was the decided reply. "I recognise him now quite clearly. He
was riding a black horse, and dashed off when we broke into the square."
Heideck perceived that it would be useless to deny the fact, in the face
of this direct evidence, and his military honour would, in any case, not
have permitted him to do so. "What the lieutenant has said is quite
correct," he answered, anticipating the Colonel's question; "but I did
not take part in the fighting. As a friend of Colonel Baird, who was
killed, I kept as long as possible close to him, so as to be able to
bring his relations, who were left behind in Lahore, tidings of his fate
and of the issue of the battle." "You, a foreigner, were armed in the
English square. Since you confess this much, we need not trouble
ourselves with further proceedings. You, gentlemen, will all agree that
we should treat him, according to martial law, as a traitor?" The last
words were addressed to the other judges, and, with a silent bow,