e wood.

"What do you make of them, Gil?"

"Sepoys," I said; "nine of them, all with muskets and bayonets,
evidently coming to occupy this place."

"Yes," he said; "we must repulse them. Gil, this is a godsend. I want
every man I have to fight. These are scoundrels from one of the
revolted regiments."

"And this is to be a bit of practice for our men?"

"No, boy; we can trap the dogs without fighting. Can't you see what I
want?"

"No."

"Bearers for poor Craig's dhooly. Here they are--two sets; one for
relief."

I uttered a cry of delight, and then after making sure by which track
the sepoys would come up to the tope, a dozen men were placed in ambush
with orders not to move till the native soldiers had passed them, and
then to cut off their retreat when they found enemies in front.

The arrangements were cleverly made, our men lying down among the
bushes; and, in perfect ignorance of the reception awaiting them, the
sepoys came on with their muskets shouldered; and in a careless,
easy-going way, as they came on talking loudly, they drew and fixed
bayonets.

"They think some poor creatures have taken refuge here," whispered
Brace. "The bloodhounds!"

I lay there with my sword drawn, and the knot tight about my wrist, my
heart beating, and a curious sensation of dread troubling me, for I was
going to face armed men for the first time in my life.

But I had no time for thinking; the sepoys were close at hand, and as
they reached the edge of the tope, one, who seemed to be their leader,
gave the order, and the men lowered their bayonets, and were about to
open out to search the tope, when Brace sprang up right in their way.

What followed did not take a minute. The first movement of the
mutineers was to turn and flee, but their leader yelled at them
savagely, and dashed at us with his levelled bayonet, when a shot from
Brace's pistol rang out, and the man threw up his piece, bent back,
fell, and clutched at the broken twigs upon which he had fallen, while,
uttering a fierce yell of rage, the others came on.

But Brace was equal to the occasion. He shouted an order to our lads,
and then one in Hindustani to the sepoys, who, on seeing a party of our
men spring up behind us, stopped short, and then turned to flee, but
only to find themselves face to face with the dozen men by whom they had
passed.

"Down with your arms!" roared Brace, rushing at them. And with a sullen
growl, seven of them threw