Torkrud, north-west frontier July 1863
Lying behind a makeshift barricade under the sun, Jack watched as the jingal balls slowly crumbled their parapet away. He could do nothing except watch and wait.
I do not want Andrew to join the Army. Jack thought of his young son, helpless in his cot. No, I want him to be a solicitor, or a banker, or a doctor, anything but a soldier. I don"t want him to put himself in danger on a daily basis. I must tell Mary that when I get back. But first I have to get back.
"Get ready, Alladad. It"s nearly time."
Stripped to only a loincloth, Alladad slipped through an embrasure at the back of the tower and vanished. Although Jack was only a few feet from him, he did not see him move. He peered into the dark.
The night was still. No wind; no sound, not even t
