thousand
persons, among whom were many of his principal adherents. Some of
these were killed, all of them stripped of their robes and
ornaments. Parties of soldiers were immediately sent, by Ghatgay,
to plunder the house of Nana and those of all his adherents.

Harry was in his room when he heard a sudden outburst of firing
and, a minute or two later, Abdool ran in.

"Scindia's men are in the town, sahib! They are attacking the
houses of Nana's adherents. These are defending themselves as best
they can. There is a general panic, for it is believed that the
whole town will be looted."

"Get your things together, Abdool. I will change my dress for that
of a native soldier, and we will make for the Residency."

"Shall we ride, sahib?"

"No, we will leave the horses here. If we were to go on horseback,
we might be taken for Nana's adherents trying to make their escape,
and be shot down without any further question.

"I felt misgivings when I saw Nana going out; but it would have
come to the same thing, in the end, for if Scindia's whole army,
villainous as is the treachery, had advanced against the town, Nana
could have gathered no force to oppose them."

Three or four minutes later they started, Abdool carrying a bundle
containing Harry's disguises. They made their way through lanes,
where the people were all standing at their doors, talking
excitedly. Continuous firing was heard in the direction of the
better quarters, mingled with shouts and cries. No one questioned
them, all being too anxious as to their own safety to think of
anything else.

The Residency was half a mile from the town. There Mr. Uhtoff was
standing at his door, and the men of his escort were all under
arms. Harry had been in frequent communication with him, from the
time that he had taken Colonel Palmer's place. The Resident did
not, for the moment, recognize him in his new disguise but, when he
did so, he asked anxiously what was going on in the town.

"A strong body of Scindia's troops are there, attacking Nana's
adherents. I fear that the minister himself is a prisoner in their
camp."

"That is bad news, indeed. Nana told me, yesterday, that he
intended to visit Scindia, and had received a guarantee for his
safe return, from Filoze. I advised him not to go; but he said that
he could confide, implicitly, in the honour of a European officer.
I told him that the various European nations differed widely from
each other; and that, althoug