after themselves."

"You must supersede him promptly if he shows any signs of hanging back
to-day. But I'm uncommon glad to have the guns in your hands, old boy,
even if it's only at the outset. Hal, if we break up Sher Singh's army
to-day, they must send us our siege artillery and let us finish this
job--they must."

"I only wish they had sent it already--or even given the order. The
news of that would have been enough. Do you like the look of your
Granthis, Bob?"

"About as little as you do. One could wish that our Mr James had shown
his affection in any other way than by sending us another Granthi
regiment, but it was impossible to refuse it. It's one comfort that
with your fellows we are more than a match for them now if they turn
rusty, and by posting them on the right we can get them in flank with
our whole line. You think we can't do better with the guns than keep
them where they are until we advance? All right, then. Warner will
lead the Darwanis, and the doctor will gallop for us."

The surgeon, who had been sent on by James Antony with the
reinforcements, was young and active, and having at present no
patients, since the native troops scouted him in favour of their own
hakims, was ready to take any part in the fighting, from heading a
cavalry charge to bringing up ammunition, but found himself relegated
to the post of galloper. He took up his position behind Charteris in
the centre, Warner and General Desdichado commanding the nearer troops
on either hand, while Gerrard with the guns, and Bishen Ram with the
two Granthi regiments, occupied the extreme left and right
respectively, the whole position being roughly crescent-shaped.
Nothing but utter madness, it seemed, could lead an army into the
hollow it commanded, and Charteris sent out scouts to see whether Sher
Singh's advance was not a blind, intended to mask a flank attack. But
the scouts returned periodically to say that there was no sign of any
other movement than the one in front, and as the enemy came closer, it
was clear that their whole force was in the field. Gerrard allowed
them to approach until they were well within the horns of the crescent,
then, when with a final crash of music they quickened their step to
charge up the low hill in the centre, his guns opened with tremendous
effect. But even the cannonade seemed to produce little diminution in
Sher Singh's crowded ranks, and they rolled on up the hill as though
they would ove