, which
will be sufficient to show that you represent me. Here is a list of
the zemindars within fifteen miles of the city. You will, today,
visit as many of them as possible, and request them to ride in to
see me, tomorrow morning. I have directed that you are to have one
of my horses for, after the work yours has just had, it will need
two or three days' rest.

"Say nothing about the possibility of Holkar's coming here. They
might hang back, if you did so. I would rather meet them as a body,
and open the matter to them, myself. You will be able to see, by
their manner, if any of them have thought of the possibility of the
city being besieged. If they have, some of them will possibly
excuse themselves coming; though I think that the great majority
will come, for they must know well enough that, if Holkar took the
city, his troops would ravage the country, as they have done all
the villages through which they have passed; and that, therefore,
it is to their interest to aid in its defence.

"I am going now to see the Emperor, and to obtain from him an order
for all the able-bodied men of the city to set to work, under my
orders and those of Colonel Burns, to repair the fortifications at
the points where an enemy would naturally attack them.

"In any case, where you see that those you call upon make excuses
for not coming in, you have my full authority for telling them that
all who do not do so will be regarded as our enemies, and will be
severely punished, and their estates forfeited. No excuse,
whatever, will be accepted unless, on your arrival, you find that a
man is seriously ill; in which case you will order that his son, or
some near relation, be sent to represent him."

For the next three days, Harry spent his whole time on horseback
and, although it was evident to him that several of those he
visited were averse to going into Delhi, none of them ventured to
incur the displeasure of the English Resident by an absolute
refusal. Each morning, therefore, Colonel Ochterlony received those
Harry had visited on the previous day. He told them, frankly, that
it was possible that Holkar might appear before the walls; but
assured them that he had no doubt of being able to resist all
attacks, until General Lake arrived, which he would be sure to do
in a few days.

In the meantime, great numbers of men laboured at the walls. The
battlements had in some cases fallen, and the gaps were filled up
with sandbags. The moat,