at," Harry said, "and the order must be that,
when the signal is given, the men must throw down their torches;
and then each man must run, not for the hole in the stockade, but
to the nearest point, and keep along outside the ditch, and enter
by it. In that way the point at which they entered would not be
known and, moreover, they would be able to enter more rapidly, and
with much less confusion, than if they all arrived together in a
crowd. A party would, of course, be left at the breach when they
sally out and, the moment the last man entered, would replace and
lash the bamboos in their position.

"If, however, we are hotly pursued, you and I, with your own
guards, should remain outside, and keep them at bay until all the
bamboos but one are replaced. This will leave an opening sufficient
for one man, and we must fall back fighting. They certainly would
not venture to follow us through so narrow a passage."

Two hundred and fifty of the men were brought inside the wall, and
the rajah explained to them the duty upon which they would be
employed. He told off fifty of them as torch bearers; explained to
all, carefully, the plan Harry had devised; gave strict orders that
no sound, whatever, must be made until they reached the houses and,
at Harry's request, impressed upon them the absolute necessity for
not allowing their ardour to carry them too far; but that torches
must be thrown down, and everyone run back, as soon as the horn
sounded.

There was no doubt that the order was a satisfactory one. The men
raised their krises and spears, and shouted with joy. In their
present mood, nothing could please them more than the thought of an
attack upon their assailants.

All remained quiet, on both sides, until darkness fell; then the
crash of falling huts showed that the enemy intended to use fire,
and were about to begin the work of making faggots.

"They will attack an hour before daybreak," the rajah said; "or
may, perhaps, wait till the sun is up for, in the daylight, those
who carried the torches would not be so conspicuous, but would
advance in the midst of their whole force."

"At what time are they likely to sleep?"

"Many will sleep early," he said, "in readiness for the fight.
Others will sit up and talk, all night; but those who intend to
sleep will probably do so, in a couple of hours."

"Do you think that they are likely to place guards?"

"No; they will not dream that we should have the boldness to att