e would be in support.

At last I went away from the window, and began to walk excitedly about
the room, but only to rush back again, as I heard a fresh volley of
musketry in the distance, and on looking out saw a dull glow out over
the walls of the palace, a light which grew brighter, and, as it
increased, I knew that attackers or defenders had fired some house, the
beginning of a work whose end it was impossible to foretell.

I shuddered slightly, for I was a prisoner.

"Suppose," I thought, "this place should catch, and I found myself
hemmed in!"

I looked down at the depth below, and my eyes once more sought the
hangings, as I recalled how I had thought of contriving a rope.

The fire was increasing fast, the dull glow becoming each minute more
vivid, till, when I reached out of the window, I could see orange-tinted
clouds rolling up from the direction of the volley firing, whilst the
shouting was certainly coming nearer.

I felt as if it was impossible to bear this confinement longer, and it
was only by forcing myself to dwell upon the varying fortunes of the
fight that I was able to contain myself. There, on the one hand, was
the attack upon the gate; there, on the other, the advance of the troops
through the town, to which they must have obtained entrance by a
surprise. And now I longed to be where I could see the varying fortunes
of the fight, which at times I thought must be going in another
direction.

That was only a passing thought, for all at once the firing of the
artillery ceased; so did that of the musketry opposed to it, and I
listened breathlessly, wondering what was the cause.

Had they failed to batter down the gate? and had they limbered up and
retired?

No; for, as the thought came, there was a sudden crash of musketry,
volley after volley, and the incessant scattered firing of the
defenders. Then, as I listened, a faint sound of cheering, increasing
in loudness, reached my ears, and directly after I felt certain that the
gate had been taken.

A minute later there was no doubt about it, for I could hear the
fighting right and left, and to my great joy, I knew that it must be
going against the rajah's men, who were retiring, and I soon found that
the palace was the place for which they were making.

First of all, there was a great deal of excitement in the court. Then a
sowar came riding in to give orders to the officer in command, and while
it was being executed, a gallantly-dress