ll through the city the pink and
white petals fell like the gay crystals of a dissolving sunrise. Yet
there rose from the midst of it a long, rumbling, intermittent murmur,
and here and there marched columns of men in good order, while again
disorderly bands ran hither and hither with krises waving in the sun,
and the red turban of war wound round their heads.

They could not see the front of the Palace, nor yet the Residency
Square, but, even as they looked, a cannonade began, and the smoke of
the guns curled through the showering peach-trees. Hoarse shoutings
and cries came rolling over the pink roofs, and Cumner's Son could hear
through all the bugle-call of the artillery.

A moment later Cushnan Di was leading them through a copse of pawpaw
trees to a secluded garden by the Aqueduct, overgrown with vines and
ancient rose trees, and cherry shrubs. After an hour's labour with
spades, while pickets guarded all approach, an opening was disclosed
beneath the great flag-stones of a ruined building. Here was a wide
natural corridor overhung with stalactites, and it led on into an
artificial passage which inclined gradually upwards till it came into
a mound above the level by which they entered. Against this mound
was backed a little temple in the rear of the Palace. A dozen men had
remained behind to cover up the entrance again. When these heard Pango
Dooni and the others in the Palace yard they were to ride straight for a
gate which should be opened to them.

There was delay in opening the stone door which led into the temple,
but at last they forced their way. The place was empty, and they rode
through the Palace yard, pouring out like a stream of spectral horsemen
from the altar of the temple. Not a word was spoken as Pango Dooni and
his company galloped towards the front of the Palace. Hundreds of the
Dakoon's soldiers and terrified people who had taken refuge in the great
court-yard, ran screaming into corners, or threw themselves in terror
upon the ground. The walls were lined with soldiers, but not one raised
his hand to strike--so sudden was the coming of the dreaded hillsman.
They knew him by the black flag and the yellow sunburst upon it.

Presently Pango Dooni gave the wild battle-call of his tribe, and every
one of his seven hundred answered him as they rode impetuously to the
Palace front. Two thousand soldiers of the Dakoon, under command of his
nephew, Gis-yo-Bahim, were gathered there. They were making r