only chance that I can see is that, instead of four fellows
coming up with the man who brings my food, there may be only two.
Taking them by surprise, and snatching a weapon from them, I might
manage three of them; but I could not even hope to silence five,
before they gave the alarm.

"I hope that Abdool got away safely. I think that if he did, he was
likely, when he had once shaken off pursuit, to come back and try
to find out what had become of me. His face could not have been
particularly noticed, for I expect the troopers were attacked as
soon as I entered that scoundrel's house; and if he took off his
uniform, and went in in native dress, there would be little chance
of his being recognized. When he finds out where I have been taken,
he will no doubt go back to Delhi, and report; but with Holkar
within two miles, they have too much on their hands to think of
sending to demand my release. If Holkar fails to take the place,
and retires as Lake approaches, there will no doubt be a hot
pursuit; and certainly they could not send two or three hundred men
here. Less than that would be of no good, whatever. The rajah has
committed himself, by the murder of my troopers and, as he cannot
hope for forgiveness, he would either fly to Oude, or else move in
here with his force, with which he would think himself safe from
anything short of an army.

"It is certain that, with such important work on hand, no men can
be spared for a rescue expedition. No, there is not a shadow of
chance, unless Holkar is defeated."

Having settled this matter in his mind, and decided that no amount
of thinking would enable him to see a way of escaping; Harry
dismissed the subject from his thoughts, ate his rice, and lay down
as soon as it became dark, having had but little rest for the past
week.

Two days passed. As he was sitting on the platform over his cell,
he heard a distant boom, and knew that Holkar was besieging Delhi.
The next day, to his satisfaction, the sound of cannonading was
again distinct.

"At any rate," he said to himself, "Holkar has not carried the
place by a sudden rush. There is a regularity about the fire that
shows that it is deliberate. No doubt they are breaching one of the
walls."

Going to the other side of the platform, he saw that a good many of
the rajah's followers were standing on the wall, listening to the
firing. The wall itself was some thirty-five feet below the spot
where he was standing; neither lo