n the window. They
may have made some ladders by this time, and may intend to try a
shot."

"Perhaps they are gone?" Surajah suggested.

"It is quite possible. They must know that our troop comes up here
early, and as they have four miles to walk back to the fort, and
several wounded to carry with them, they certainly won't stay much
longer--if, as you say, they have not gone already."

It was indeed well that Surajah had not attempted to look out at one
of the loopholes; for, at the time he asked the question, a dark
figure was standing at each, looking along the barrel of his gun, in
readiness to fire the moment the light was obscured.

A few minutes later Dick exclaimed:

"How stupid! We can easily test whether there is any one there,
Surajah;" and, taking up a piece of thatch he pushed it suddenly
across one of the loopholes.

No shot followed the action, and he went round the hut, and repeated
the experiment at each of them.

"They have all gone," he said confidently. "Had they been outside,
they would certainly have fired directly the light was obscured."

Standing a short distance back from the end window, he looked out
between the crossbeams.

"Hurrah!" he shouted. "There they go up the road. They are a quarter
of a mile away. They are not more than half as strong as they were
when they came down. They are carrying eight or ten figures on their
shoulders, on litters, or doors."

"I don't see the cavalry," Surajah said, as he joined him.

"No. It is likely enough that they may be in hiding among the huts
opposite, and are waiting, in hopes that we may be foolish enough to
take it for granted that they are all gone, and pull down the bars of
the door. I expect they will stay until they see our troop coming up
the valley."

They continued to look out from the window, from which they had now
removed the bars. Half an hour later, Dick exclaimed:

"There they go, up that side of the valley. I have no doubt they see
our troop, and that in a few minutes we shall hear them coming."

It was not long before they heard a trampling of horses, and a moment
later the Rajah's voice exclaimed:

"Why, what is this? Here are a dozen dead bodies. They are Mysoreans,
by their dress."

"All right, Uncle," Dick shouted, "we will be out as soon as we get
these bars down. We have been standing a siege."

It did not take long to remove the bars. The Rajah and his men had
dismounted, as soon as some of the latter ha