the
mutinous rascals lay stone dead upon the blood-stained sod, and five
others so fatally wounded that it would be impossible for them to
survive another hour, three more were slightly injured, but sufficiently
so to render them for the present _hors de combat_, while the one
remaining wretch who had escaped scathless had sullenly thrown down his
arms and stood looking on in moody silence. Every one of the brave
little party that had come thus opportunely to the rescue, had been more
or less injured by the Tulwas and pistol shots of the black Sowas, but
in no case did their wounds render them unfit for active service; rest
for a few days, together with some sticking plaster, was all that they
needed to enable them to take the field again. Of the mutineers, the
five mortally wounded were left to keep guard over the eleven dead, the
remaining four were bound and lashed to one of the garries belonging to
the Collector. The oaths and imprecations of these wretched beings at
the failure of their project and the position they now found themselves
in, were something fearful to listen to.

After a brief time, for congratulations, rest and refreshments, which
refreshment consisted chiefly in brandy punnee, sherry and biscuit, from
the flasks and wallets of the party, (no bad thing by the way, under the
circumstance.) Matters then having been got _en train_, the whole party
proceeded leisurely to the camp near Laurieghur, and arrived just as the
sun was casting her golden rays on the slopes of the adjacent hills,
previous to its sinking for the night into the purple depths of
obscurity. Early the following morning, the Collector, with a suitable
escort, proceeded on their way to Runjetpoora, the place to which they
were returning when they were so ruthlessly set upon by the atrocious
mutineers.

The day proceeding the one on which Arthur had joined his troop, the
officer in command of the little force ordered a court martial to
assemble for the trial of the prisoners concerned in the late murderous
attack on the Collector and party. The finding of the court was, that
the prisoners were guilty of all the charges brought against them, and
the sentence pronounced was that of death, by being blown to fragments
from the cannon's mouth, the sentence to be carried into effect the day
succeeding the promulgation of the order for the execution. Preparations
were then to be pushed forward vigorously for carrying by assault
Laurieghur, t