t!" roared young Bellairs, and the muzzles swung round at
the gallop, jerked into position by the wheeling teams.

"With case, at four hundred!"

The orders were given and obeyed almost before the guns had lost their
motion. The charges had been rammed into the greedy muzzles before the
horses were away, almost--and that takes but a second--the horses vanish
like blown smoke when the game begins. A howl from the mutineers told
that they were seen; a volley from the British infantry announced that
they were yet in time; and "boom-boom!" went both guns together.

The grapeshot whined and shrieked, and the ranks of the sepoys wilted,
mown down as though a scythe had swept them. Once, and once only, they
gathered for a charge on the two guns; but they were met half-way up the
rise by a shrieking blast of grape that ripped through them and took the
heart out of them; and the grape was followed by well-aimed volleys from
behind. Then they drew off to sulk and make fresh plans at a distance,
and Bellairs took his section unmolested into the Thirty-third-lined
rampart round the magazine.

"What kept you, sir?" demanded Colonel Forrester-Carter, nodding to him
in answer to his salute and holding out his right arm while a sergeant
bandaged it.

"My wife, sir--I--"

"Where is she? Didn't you bring her?"

"No, sir--I--"

"Where is she?"

"Still at Hanadra, sir--I--"

"Let the men fall in! Call the roll at once!"

"There was nothing in my orders, sir, about--" But Colonel Carter cut
him short with a motion and turned his back on him.

"Much obliged, Sergeant," he said, slipping his wounded arm into an
improvised sling. "How many wagons have we here?"

"Four, sir."

"And horses?"

"All shot dead except your charger, sir."

"Oh! Ask Captain Trevor to come here."

The sergeant disappeared into the shadows, and a moment later Captain
Trevor came running up and saluted.

"There are seven wounded, sir, and nineteen dead," he reported.

"Better than I had hoped, Trevor! Will you set a train to that magazine,
please, and blow it up the moment we are at a safe distance?"

Trevor seemed surprised, but he saluted and said nothing.

"O'Rourke! Please see about burying the dead at once. Mr. Bellairs, let
me have two horses, please, and their drivers, from each gun. Sergeant!
See about putting the wounded into the lightest of the wagons and
harness in four gun-horses the best way you can manage."

"Very good, sir."