enemy depart, I should advise you to build a great mound
of earth over the trench. It will be a record of your grand defence
and, by placing a strong stockade along the top, you would
strengthen your position greatly. I should recommend you, in that
case, to clear the space within it, as far as the wall, of all
houses; and to build the town entirely outside it."

There was great dissatisfaction, among the natives, at being
prevented from taking what seemed to them their natural trophies.
But when the rajah informed them that the order was given in
consequence of the white officer's advice, they set about the work
readily and, before morning, the dead were all hidden from sight by
a deep layer of earth.

The next day passed without incident. At nightfall a sharp lookout
was kept, not only on the palisade but from the top of the rajah's
house. It was thought that the enemy, of whom considerable numbers
had been seen going into the forest, would bring up the faggots as
closely as possible, before lighting them. Still, it would be
necessary to carry brands for that purpose and, now that the ground
was cleared of huts, some at least of these brands could be seen,
even if carefully hidden.

With the exception of the guards, all slept during the day; as it
was necessary that they should be vigilant at night, for the enemy
might, on this occasion, approach at an earlier hour, hoping to
find the garrison unprepared. Harry and Abdool paced round and
round on the platform of the wall but, although a few fires burned
among the fields, no glimmer of light could be seen where the town
had stood.

"I wish I knew what they were up to, Abdool," Harry said, about
midnight. "I don't like this silence."

"Perhaps they have gone away, sahib."

"No, I can hardly think that. I believe we shall have another
attack, before morning. They may bring ladders with them, for
climbing the palisade; they may try fire; but I am convinced that
they will do something.

"The position is not so strong as it was. If we had had more
bamboos, I should have set our men to dig another ditch, and defend
it like the first; but they are all used up, now. I wish we had
some rockets; so that we could send up one, from time to time, and
see what they are doing."

Another hour passed, and some of the Malays declared that they
could hear a sound as of many men moving. Harry listened in vain,
but he knew that the Malays' senses were much keener than his own.