(Eleanor Macdonell's Memories)

 "In the days of the H.E.I.C. service there were ten regiments of native cavalry;  and an arrangement had been made among all the officers of these regiments, and sanctioned by government, that if an officer wished to retire, all those below him in his own regiment should subscribe so much, (according to the benefit each would get by his going,) to give that officer a sum sufficient to induce him to go.   Then the other nine regiments calculated what such a step was worth to them, - "a line step", it was called, - and they paid in proportion.   For instance, suppose it was a major who was retiring, (the major in another regiment,) the senior captain would get promotion, and that would naturally raise those below him a bit all round.

                        Just before we were married, Ranald had to pay for a step in his own regiment (which made him a major) £140 to the man retiring.   His was the largest share because he benefited most, and the captains and lieutenants paid in due proportion for their rise.   Then Ranald paid £48 to the military fund as a donation on our marriage, and directly we arrived at Peshawar, he was told that some one in another cavalry regiment had retired, and that consequently he would have to subscribe £70.   I remember well about it, for with the heavy expenses of our long voyage from England which cost £70 each, besides the furnishing of our cabin, and then our long journey of 1,800 miles by road, from Calcutta to Peshawar, besides the buying of horses and the setting up of house, and lastly, only six months later, the march of five weeks to Ferozepore, even although our monthly pay was good, we were pretty hard up for a time.

                        Many years later there was a discussion in parliament as to whether money paid for steps according to the arrangement the Company's service had sanctioned, was to be refunded to the Indian army or not, and finally the question ended in favour of the army.   Ranald wrote to Colonel Harvey, formerly in the Tenth, to ask if he had any memos. of what he (Ranald) and others had paid for those steps;  and Colonel Harvey told him of so much, but added, "I know you paid that, but I cannot tell more for certain, as, - you will remember, - the mutineers set fire to my house, and the books were all burnt".   So Ranald only got £250 or so, but he said he knew he had paid much more.   And that was "The Bonus Question".