een carried off by Tippoo, in
his raid on Travancore; and the young men were compelled to serve,
after being obliged to become, nominally, Mohammedans. After the
Chelah battalions came those of Tippoo's army.

"These fellows look as if they could fight," Dick said. "They are an
irregular lot, and don't seem to have an idea of keeping line, or
marching in step, but they are an active-looking set of fellows, and
carry themselves well. As to the Chelahs, I should say they would be
no good whatever, even if they could be relied on, which we know they
cannot be. They look dejected and miserable, and I suppose hate it all
as much as their officers do. I should back half a regiment of English
to lick the twelve battalions. I wonder Tippoo, himself, does not see
that troops like these must be utterly useless."

"I don't expect he thinks they would be of much use," Surajah agreed.
"He only turned them into soldiers to gratify his hatred of them."

Leaving the troops, they walked on and entered the great fort, which
enclosed an area of nearly two square miles. In this were Tippoo's
palace, his storehouses--containing grain sufficient for the garrison,
for a siege of many months--mosques, the residences of Tippoo's
officials and officers, the arsenals, and the huts for the troops.
There was also a street of shops, similar to those in the town.

Wandering about, unquestioned, they came presently upon a scene that
filled Dick with indignation and fury. Two white officers, heavily
ironed, were seated on the ground. Another, similarly ironed, lay
stretched beside them. He was naked from the waist up. His back was
covered with blood, and he had evidently been recently flogged, until
he fell insensible. Half a dozen savage-looking men, evidently
executioners of Tippoo's orders, were standing round, jeering at the
prisoners and refusing their entreaties to bring some water for their
comrade.

"You brutes!" one of the captives exclaimed, in English. "I would give
all my hopes of liberty, for ten minutes face to face with you, with
swords in our hands."

"They would not be of much use to us," the other said quietly. "It is
four days since we had a mouthful of food, and they would make very
short work of us."

"All the better," the other exclaimed. "Death would be a thousand-fold
preferable to this misery."

Dick felt that, if he remained longer, he would be unable to contain
himself; and turning hastily away, walked off, accompan