t or spear; and there were
few without pistols in their girdles.

They rode halfway to Conjeveram, and stopped for the night at a
village--the men sleeping in the open air, while the Rajah, his sons,
and Dick, were entertained by the chief man of the place. The next
afternoon they rode into Conjeveram, where, just at sunset, the boats
also arrived.

The troop encamped outside the town, while the Rajah and his party
occupied some rooms that had been secured beforehand for them. In the
morning, the ladies proceeded in a native carriage; with the troop, an
officer and ten men following, in charge of the bullock carts
containing the baggage.

On reaching Madras, they encamped on the Maidan--a large, open space
used as a drill ground for the troops garrisoned there--and the Rajah
and his party established themselves in the house occupied by him on
the occasion of his last visit. The next day, the Rajah went to the
Government House, and had an interview with the deputy governor.

"I think," the latter said, after some conversation, "that your troop
of cavalry will be of little use to the Nabob. If Tippoo comes down
from the hills, he will not be able to take the field against him, and
will need all his forces to defend Arcot, Vellore, and his smaller
forts, and cavalry would be of no real use to him. Your troop would be
of much greater utility to the battalions from Bengal, when they
arrive. They will be here in three weeks or so, and as soon as they
come, I will attach you to them. I will write to the Nabob, saying
that you were about to join him, but that, in the interest of the
general defence, I have thought it better, at present, to attach you
to the Bengal contingent. You see, they will be entirely new to the
country, and it will be a great advantage to them to have a troop like
yours, many of whom are well acquainted with the roads and general
geography of the country. Your speaking English, too, will add to your
usefulness."

"I have a nephew with me who speaks English perfectly, and also
Hindustani," the Rajah said. "He is a smart young fellow, and I have
no doubt that the officer in command would be able to make him very
useful. He is eager to be of service. His father, who was an
Englishman, was wrecked some years ago on the west coast, and sent up
a prisoner to Mysore. He was not one of those handed over at the time
of the peace, but whether he has been murdered, or is still a prisoner
in Tippoo's hands, we