once told him that the attack will be made on the pagoda, by the
Invulnerables, on the early morning of the fourth day from this--or
on the next night--the astrologers having declared that the time
would be propitious, and also because they were very anxious to
have the pagoda in their hands, in order that the princes might
celebrate the great annual festival that is held, it seems, two
days after."

The colonel laughed.

"I am afraid that they will have to put it off for another year.
The general gave no special orders, I suppose?"

"No, sir; he had only just received the news, and ordered me to
ride over at once to you, as he was sure that you would be glad to
know that it would not be necessary to keep so many men on night
duty, for the next two days."

"Thank you, Mr. Brooke. Will you kindly tell the general that I am
very pleased at the news? No doubt he will be up here, himself,
this afternoon or tomorrow."

Stanley rode back fast, and was just in time to escape a tremendous
downpour of rain, which began a few minutes after he returned. He
went in at once to the general's, but was told that he was engaged
with the quartermaster and adjutant generals. He therefore went
into the anteroom where Tollemache, his fellow aide-de-camp, was
standing at the window, looking out at the rain.

"This is a beastly climate," he grumbled. "It is awful to think
that we are likely to get another two months of it; and shall then
have to wait at least another, before the country is dry enough to
make a move. You were lucky in getting in, just now, before it
began."

"I was indeed," Stanley agreed, "for I had ridden off without my
cloak, and should have been drenched, had it begun two minutes
earlier."

"I saw you gallop past, and wondered what you were in such a hurry
about. Was it like this when you were out in the woods?"

"Not in the least. There is very little rain near Ava; though the
country is a good deal flooded, where it is flat, from the rivers
being swollen by the rains in the hills. We had lovely weather, all
the time."

"I should like to see a little lovely weather here. The last week
has been almost worse than the rain--the steamy heat is like being
in a vapour bath. If it were not that I am on duty, I should like
to strip, and go out and enjoy a shower bath for half an hour."

Stanley laughed.

"It really would be pleasant," he said. "I don't think that I
gained much by hurrying back, for the gallop h