han with him. His men only consume our
provisions, and cause trouble, and they are no more good fighting than
so many sheep."

"That is so," Colonel Forde said. "But in the first place, his five
thousand men, absolutely worthless as they are, swell our forces to a
respectable size. If Conflans and Du Rocher saw how small is our
really fighting body, they would fall upon us together, and annihilate
us. In the second place, if Anandraz goes to the nizam he will at
once, of course, declare for the French, and will give up Vizapatam
and the rest of the ground we won by the battle of Condore. The whole
of the fruits of the campaign would be lost, and we should only hold
that portion of the Northern Sirkars on which our troops here are
encamped."

"I beg your pardon, Colonel," Charlie said. "You are right, and I am
wrong. I will start at once."

Putting himself at the head of his five-and-twenty men, Charlie rode
off at once in pursuit of the rajah. He found him encamped in a
village. Charlie had already instructed his men as to the course which
they were to pursue, and halted them at a distance of fifty yards from
the rajah's tent. Then dismounting, and followed by Tim as his
orderly, and Hossein as his body servant, he walked to the tent.

He found Anandraz surrounded by his chief officers. The rajah received
him coldly; but Charlie, paying no attention to this, took a seat
close to him.

"I am come, Rajah," he said, "from Colonel Forde, to point out to you
the folly of the course which you have pursued. By the line which you
have taken so far, it is evidently your intention to cross the
Godavery, and retire to your own country. What chance have you of
accomplishing this? By this time, the cavalry of the nizam will be
scattered over the whole country between this and the Godavery. At
Rajahmahendri is Du Rocher, with his army, who will take you in flank.
Even supposing that you reach your own country, what is the future
open to you? If the English are finally successful, they will deprive
you of your rank and possessions for deserting them now. If the French
are victorious, they and the nizam will then turn their attention to
you; and you cannot hope to escape with life, when your treason has
brought such troubles upon them."

The rajah looked for a minute doubtful; and then, encouraged by the
murmurs of the officers around him, who were weary of the expedition
and its labours, although their troops had not fired a s