ck, Harry thought
certain; but sooner or later it would succeed, and there would then
be no time to retire. He therefore sent a man back, to see if the
hole in the wall was large enough; and he returned directly, saying
that the men there had just concluded their work, and that six of
them were coming back.

Harry now gave orders, to the native officer who was standing
beside him, to order these men to lead the horses through the
opening. When he had been gone a minute or two, he sent all the
men, except four, to follow the example of their comrades; while
those left with him redoubled their fire, so that their assailants
should not know that any of the defenders had been withdrawn.

It was not long before a trooper ran back, with the word that all
the horses had been taken through. The news came just in time, for
so much of the barricade had been pulled down that it could now be
climbed. Harry therefore gave the word and, with the last of the
defenders, went off at a run.

The troop was gathered in the deserted lane at the bottom of the
garden and, on Harry's arrival, the men sprung into the saddles and
galloped off. The rattle of musketry was now very heavy, but it
suddenly stopped and, a moment later, shouts and yells told that
the breach had been carried, and the yard found to be deserted.

"They will search the house, first," Harry said to the native
officer, "and they will be cautious about it, as they will think
that at any moment they may come upon us, and will be sure that
they would meet with a desperate resistance. I expect that it will
be ten minutes before they discover how we have slipped through
their hands."

They made a long detour, and then approached the palace from the
other side; Harry having determined to place himself under the
protection of the rajah, for he did not think it possible that they
could escape by hard riding, as they might be pursued by the whole
of the cavalry. Just as they were approaching it, they heard a
fresh outbreak of firing, the musketry being mingled with the crack
of field guns.

"The rajah has gone out to our rescue," Harry said. "He would have
been too late, if we had stopped there; however, we can rely upon
him now."

Five minutes later, they rode into the courtyard of the palace. It
was almost deserted, but one of the officials came out and, bowing
deeply to Harry, said:

"The rajah himself has gone out, with the household troops and a
battery of artillery