the only ones whose bodies were in a fit state to be examined.
But they afforded no clue to the identity of the mysterious assailants. The
men appeared to have been low-caste Hindus of the coolie class. They
carried nothing on their persons except a little food--a few broken
_chupatis_, a handful of coarse grain, an onion or two, and a few
_cardamoms_ tied up in a bit of cloth. Each had a powder-flask and a small
bag with some spherical bullets in it hung on a string passed over one
shoulder. The weapons found were mostly old Tower muskets, the marks on
which showed that at one time they had belonged to various native regiments
in the service of the East India Company. But there were two or three
fairly modern rifles of French or German make.

These latter Dermot tied on his elephant, and, as there was nothing further
to be learned here, he led the way to the other spot which he wished to
visit. But when, after a canter along the narrow, winding track through the
dense undergrowth, jumping fallen trees and dodging overhanging branches,
the party drew near the open glade in which Dermot had overtaken the
raiders, a chorus of loud and angry squawks, the rushing sound of heavy
wings and the rustling of feathered bodies prepared them for
disappointment. When they entered it there was nothing to be seen but two
struggling groups of vultures jostling and fighting over what had been
human bodies. For the glade was open to the sky and the keen eyes of the
foul scavengers had detected the corpses, of which nothing was left now but
torn clothing, mangled flesh, and scattered bones. So there was no
possibility of Daleham's deciding if Dermot had been right in believing
that one of the two raiders that he had killed was the Calcutta Bachelor of
Arts. On the whole the search had proved fruitless, for no further clue to
the identity of either body of miscreants was found.

So the riders turned back. At various points of the homeward journey
members of the party went off down tracks leading in the direction of their
respective gardens, and there was but a small remnant left when Dermot said
good-bye, after hearty thanks from Daleham and cheery farewells from the
others.

He did not reach the Fort until the following day. There he learned that
Parker had never received the telegram asking for help. Subsequent
enquiries from the telegraph authorities only elicited the statement that
the line had been broken between Barwahi and Ranga D