Dick was satisfied, and agreed to rig himself out like a Turk, or in any
other strange fashion, whenever his master required him to do so.

Next morning, Nuna had sufficiently recovered to continue the journey;
and for the first time Reginald sat by her side on the back of the
elephant, and appeared in public as an Indian prince. As they moved
through the villages crowds assembled to do them honour, though Reginald
felt more pain than pleasure as he witnessed the abject way in which the
natives bowed down, touching the ground with their foreheads on either
side of the elephant as they moved along.

Having started at an early hour, they made good progress, but they were
still several days' journey from the capital. Burnett, who rode at the
head of his troopers, was some little way in advance of the elephants,
when, towards evening, a horseman came galloping up. He brought
unsatisfactory intelligence. The rebels having reunited, were in great
force not far off, and with so valuable a prize in view as the ranee and
the young rajah, as Reginald was already called, they might be tempted
to make an attack on the party. They had some light field-pieces, as
well as horse and foot, against whom Burnett's troopers would find it
difficult to contend. Had he been called on to meet them without having
the ranee to defend, he would not have hesitated; but the risk was too
great to run if it could be avoided. Not far off was a strong fort,
however, and he judged it wise to throw himself into it till he could
obtain reinforcements, either from Allahapoor or from the troops under
Colonel Ross.

Reginald of course agreed to his proposal, and before nightfall the
party was safe within the fort. It had, it appeared, been occupied a
short time before by the rebels, but had been again abandoned by them.
An apartment was quickly made ready for the ranee. The night passed
away without the appearance of the insurgents; indeed, they were not
likely to attack the fort with the garrison it now contained.

The next morning, as Reginald and Burnett were walking on the
battlements, they caught sight of a body of men approaching the fort, so
the garrison were immediately called to arms. As the advancing forces
drew nearer, however, Burnett and Reginald discovered, to their great
satisfaction, the English flag; and in a little time they could
distinguish a body of sepoys and a small party of Europeans. They
immediately ordered their hor