we have got, and a force well nigh twice as
large. Even if there were no walls, and no guns, I don't see how we
could get at 'em, barring we'd wings, for this bog is worse than
anything in the ould country. Then behind us we've got another army,
which is, they say, with the garrisons of the forts, as strong as we
are. We've got little food and less money, and the troops are
grumbling mightily, I can tell you."

On the 18th of March, while his batteries were still incomplete, Forde
received certain news that the Nizam of the Deccan, the old ally of
the French, was advancing with an army of forty thousand men to attack
him. No British commander ever stood in a position of more imminent
peril.

This completed the terror of Anandraz. Du Rocher had caused reports to
be circulated that he intended to march against that chief's
territories, and the news of the approach of the nizam, who was his
suzerain lord, completed his dismay. He refused to advance another
penny. Colonel Forde had already expended the prize money gained by
the troops, his own private funds, and those of his officers, in
buying food for his troops; and the men were several months in arrear
of their pay.

"I'm afraid, yer honor," Tim said that evening to Charlie, "that
there's going to be a shindy."

"What do you mean by a shindy, Tim?"

"I mane, yer honor, that the men are cursing and swearing, and saying
the divil a bit will they fight any longer. It's rank mutiny and
rebellion, yer honor; but there's something to be said for the poor
boys. They have seen all the prize money they have taken spent. Not a
thraneen have they touched for months. Their clothes are in rags, and
here they are before a place which there's no more chance of their
taking than there is of their flying up to the clouds. And now they
hear that, besides the French behind us, there's the nizam with forty
thousand of his men marching against us. It's a purty kettle of fish
altogether, yer honor.

"It isn't for myself I care, Mr. Charles. Haven't I got an order in my
pocket, on the treasury at Madras, for three hundred pound and over;
but it's mighty hard, yer honor, just when one has become a wealthy
man, to be shut up in a French prison."

"Well, Tim, I hope there will be no trouble; but I own that things
look bad."

"Hossein has been saying, yer honor, that he thinks that the best way
would be for him and me to go out and chop off the heads of half a
dozen of the chief ring