as thrown me into
such a perspiration that I might almost as well be drenched by the
rain, except that my clothes won't suffer so much."

"Ah, it is all very well for you," the other grumbled. "Of course,
after once having wandered about in the forest, painted up like a
nigger, you feel cheerful under almost any circumstances; but for
us who have been cooped up, doing nothing, in this beastly place,
it is impossible to look at things cheerfully."

"Have you heard that the enemy are going to attack, on Tuesday or
Wednesday night?"

"No!" the other exclaimed, with a sudden animation. "The general
only came in a quarter of an hour ago and, as he had the two
bigwigs with him, of course I did not speak to him. Is it certain?
How did you hear it?"

"It is quite certain--that is, unless the Burmese change their
mind, which is not likely. The princes want to celebrate the great
annual festival at the pagoda, on Friday; and so the Invulnerables
are going, as they think, to capture it either on Tuesday or
Wednesday night. I have just been up there to tell the colonel.

"As to your other question--how did I learn it--I got it, or rather
my Burman did, from that prisoner we were questioning this morning.
He would not say anything then; but my man got round him and,
believing that he was a spy, or something of that kind, the
prisoner told him all about it."

"Are they only going to attack at the pagoda?"

"That I cannot say; that is the only point that the man mentioned.
I should say that it would only be there."

"Why should it only be there?"

"Because I should imagine that even the Burmese must be beginning
to doubt whether they could defeat our whole force and, as they
particularly wish to occupy the pagoda on Friday, they would hardly
risk an attack on other points, which might end in disaster while,
what with the propitious nature of the day, and the fact that the
Invulnerables have undertaken to capture the pagoda, no doubt they
look upon that as certain."

"I suppose that you are right, Brooke. Well, I do hope that the
general will let us go up to see the fun."

"What, even if it is raining?"

"Of course," the other said, indignantly. "What does one care for
rain, when there is something to do? Why, I believe that, if it was
coming down in a sheet, and the men had to wade through the swamps
waist deep, they would all march in the highest spirits, if there
was the chance of a fight with the Burmans at the end