wered Archie, "What
do you think, Tom?" he asked.

No reply came from Tom, and on looking round Roy discovered that both
Tom and Billy were nowhere to be seen.

"We must wait for them," cried Archie; "we cannot leave them behind."

Before, however, he or his companions could pull up, a loud challenge
was heard, and several shots came whizzing past them.

"If we stop or attempt to gallop back to look for them, we shall have
another volley," said Roy. "I will ride forward slowly. That must be a
piquet of the Indian regiment stationed outside the town. They mistake
us for the enemy, and they may aim better the next time they fire."
Without waiting for his companions' reply, Roy rode forward, shouting,
"Friends, friends! English, English!" At length he came in sight of a
party of men drawn across the road, and the English officer, advancing,
inquired who he was. He explained that they were pursued by a body of
cavalry, whom they supposed to be Tae-pings, and that he very much
feared two of their companions had fallen into their hands.

The officer on this ordered his men to advance, but to be careful not to
fire until he gave the word. Roy, riding forward, quickly overtook
Archie and Gerald. On either side was a bank covered with shrubs, which
would afford concealment in the dusk to the whole of the party. On
seeing this, the officer told Roy to go a little distance further on and
then to halt, and immediately he should hear the rebels advancing, to
gallop back towards the town.

"You may, I hope, meet your friends, but if not, and they should have
fallen into the hands of the rebels, we shall have a good chance of
rescuing them."

"I understand, and will carry out your direction," said Roy, and the
three midshipmen rode slowly back, hoping every instant to fall in with
Tom and Billy. Their disappointment was bitter when they were nowhere
to be seen. They had not, however, gone far, when they saw the Tae-ping
horsemen moving rapidly towards them, but neither Tom nor his companions
were visible. On this they immediately turned their horses' heads and
galloped back, as they had been told to do, in the direction of the
town, feeling dreadfully anxious as to the fate of their friends. They
had got some little distance beyond the ambush when a rapid succession
of shots told them that the Indian soldiers had opened their fire on the
enemy. They at once pulled up, feeling sure that the Tae-pings would
not ven