enabled him to free himself from his most pressing opponents.
Sufder laid about him stoutly and, his men seconding him well, half
their opponents were speedily struck to the ground; and the rest,
turning their horses, fled at full speed. Sufder's men would have
followed, but he shouted to them to draw rein.

"Enough has been done, and well done," he said. "If Scindia means
war, nothing will be said about this fight; but if he does not,
complaints will doubtless be laid against us, and it is better that
we should be able to say that we fought only in self defence; and
that, when the attack ceased, we allowed them to ride off
unmolested, though we might easily enough have slain the whole of
them."

On arriving at the grove where the troop had halted, Harry at once
resumed his own clothes; for although in his early days he had been
accustomed to be slightly clad, he felt ill at ease riding almost
naked. Here, too, he found Wasil, who had ridden with such speed
that his pony was too much exhausted for him to ride back with the
rest. He received his master with the greatest joy, for he had
feared he would be captured before leaving the camp.

They continued their journey to Jooneer, where they halted for the
night. Sufder went to his house, and Harry rode out to the farm.

Chapter 4: A British Resident.

As Harry drew rein at the farm Soyera ran out, followed by her
brother and Anundee, with cries of joy at his unexpected return. It
was nearly fifteen months since she had last seen him; though he
had, when opportunity offered, sent messages to her assuring her
that he was well, and hoped ere long to be able to come over to see
her.

"I should scarce have known you," she said, "in those fine clothes
of yours. You sent word that you were an officer in the Peishwa's
service; but I hardly thought that you could be so much changed.
You have grown a great deal, and are now much taller than Ramdass's
sons."

The worthy farmer and Anundee were also delighted to see him.

"How long are you going to stay?" the former asked.

"Only till tomorrow, at daybreak. I have to ride forward, with all
haste, to Poona; for I have been on a mission for Nana Furnuwees."

"Surely it is not so important that you cannot stay a few hours,
Puntojee?"

"It is of importance. You may have known that Nana has placed Bajee
Rao on the musnud, and he has installed himself as his minister;
thereby defeating the plans of Balloba and Scindi