s to stay quiet
in the plain there and wait for us to come down, like Colonel Carter's
'possum. Therefore we must make the plain uncomfortable--not too hot
to hold him, for that we can't do, but simply rather warm. I suggest
that you take two of your guns to-night round by that nullah on the
left, and tickle him up a bit in the morning. It won't be a
particularly quiet corner for you, but you can post two other guns in
support, and we'll back you up. If Chand Singh retreats again we'll
follow him, if he attacks we've got him."

"Quite so. If he don't see how ill-mannered it is to block the road in
this way to two gentlemen in a hurry, he must be politely removed. But
listen, Bob! It sounds almost as if---- And yet they can't possibly
be attacking."

"Charteris, do you know that Chand Singh is advancing?" cried Warner,
coming in hastily.

"Advancing? He must be mad."

"Advancing in line, with flags and music. They say Sher Singh is there
too, on an elephant."

"Then he is delivered into our hands," said Charteris, and Gerrard and
he hurried out of the tent and looked over the plain, where the distant
dust-cloud, through the rifts in which came glimpses of colour and
flashing steel, and bursts of barbaric music, showed the approach of
the Agpuri host. Rukn-ud-din came towards them as they gazed.

"Her Highness sends her salaams, sahib, and she will lead her troops
to-day."

"Ah, this is the day of vengeance, then?"

"So it would appear, sahib, since the brother-slayer yonder has
consulted a famous soothsayer of the unbelievers, who declares that
this day his arms shall be invincible."

"So that's why they are coming on!" said Charteris. "Who's this?" The
newcomer was a Habshiabadi in gorgeous raiment, who announced to
Gerrard that his Excellency Dilir Jang Bahadar sent his salaams, and
with Jirad Sahib's permission, would lead his master's forces into
battle.

"With all my heart," said Gerrard, and as the man moved off he observed
to Charteris, "This will leave me free to fight the guns for you, Bob,
if you wish it. Funny to think of that old sinner Desdichado as fired
with martial ardour, ain't it? Suppose he thinks it looks as if it
ought to be a soft job, but I only hope he'll be as good as his word,
for I hear that in the last fight before I joined you, when I came on
with the guns and left him in command, he spent the time under a tree
with a case-bottle of arrack, and the troops looked