reinforcements sufficient to
ensure the capture of Agpur. Before they slept that night, he and
Gerrard had deliberately made up their minds to put the telescope to
the blind eye. Retreat now would mean not only perfect liberty for
Sher Singh to move in any direction he chose, but also that that
direction would inevitably be Darwan, where the disaffected artillery
and Bishen Ram's Granthis would joyfully flock to his standard. All
the work done in pacifying the country would then be wasted, and what
was worse, Sher Singh would be provided with a second base of
operations against Ranjitgarh, and a means of communication with his
desired ally, Abd-ur-Rashid Khan of Ethiopia. Since to retire would be
to incur fresh danger, as well as to sacrifice the advantages already
won, they determined to advance, and boldly, though with all possible
respect, notified their decision to James Antony. His reception of the
news astonished them, for their cool estimate of the chances against
them, and readiness to take the risk, seemed to have touched a
sympathetic chord in his iron nature. In the letter which lay now on
the camp-table between them, the acting-Resident generously associated
himself with their resolution, approved of the measures by which they
had forced his hand, and promised to use his influence in trying to
induce the military authorities to send the desired reinforcements.

"Old boy," said Charteris with emphasis, after reading the letter once
more, "we are made men."

"If we succeed," Gerrard reminded him. "If not, we drag down James
Antony as well as ourselves."

"The Colonel won't be in a forgiving mood," agreed Charteris. "Strikes
me, Hal, that but for this latest illness of his we should find
ourselves in the wrong box even now."

"If he will only let us catch Sher Singh, he can try him as much as he
likes when we've got him," said Gerrard. "We give no guarantees, but
we take him alive if we can. That ought to meet Sir Edmund's wishes."

"Talking of taking Sher Singh alive is just a little bit like selling
the bear's skin before you've killed him, ain't it? Any one viewing
our present situation impartially would say we were more likely to be
taken alive ourselves--and in that case I fear we shouldn't long remain
so."

"We can't very well stay as we are," said Gerrard drily.

"True, O most sapient Hal, and we can hardly expect Chand Singh to
attack us unprovoked. He knows too well that his game i