nt it
will be delivered. But what made you think of the story that the
Burman was one of a party that had come in to do something?"

"It was what Colonel Adair mentioned at dinner, last evening, sir.
He was saying how awkward it would be if some of these natives who
have come in were to fire the town, just as a strong attack was
going on, and most of the troops engaged with the enemy. It was not
unlikely that, if such a plan had been formed, the prisoner would
know of it; and that he might very well believe what my man said,
that some men had been sent into the town, with that or some
similar intention."

"True enough. The idea was a capital one, Mr. Brooke; and we shall
be ready for them, whichever night they come.

"Will you please go across to the guard tent, and tell the sergeant
to send a corporal across to the man on sentry, with orders to take
the prisoner to the jail, and hand him over to the officer in
command there? When you have done that, will you ride out to the
pagoda and inform your colonel what you have discovered? It will be
a relief to him, and to the men for, as the date of the attack has
been uncertain, he has been obliged to largely increase his
patrols, and to keep a portion of his force, all night, under arms.
He will be able to decrease the number, and let the men have as
much sleep as they can, for the next two nights.

"The clouds are banking up, and I am very much afraid that the rain
is going to set in again. They say that we shall have another two
months of it."

After seeing the prisoner marched away, Stanley rode to the pagoda
and, saying that he had come with a message from the general, was
at once shown into the colonel's quarters.

"Any news, Mr. Brooke?"

"Yes, Colonel; the general has requested me to inform you, at once,
of the news that I have obtained from a prisoner; namely that,
either on the night of the 30th or 31st, your position will be
attacked, by the men who are called the Invulnerables."

"We will give them a chance of proving whether their title is
justified," the colonel said, cheerfully. "That is very good news.
The men are getting thoroughly worn out with the extra night duty
caused by this uncertainty. You think that there is no doubt that
the news is correct?"

"None whatever, sir. I could do nothing with the prisoner; but my
Burman pretended to have a mission here, to kick up a row in the
town when the attack began; and the man, believing his story, at