yranny of material things--as your pater used to quote
Socrates or some other old codger as saying. We don't want tents, and
the women must do with the howdah."

"All right; have it your own way. We'll start to-night."

"Give your secret orders to that effect to Badan Hazari, then. You'll
find that my Darwanis have been already tipped the wink, and the women
too, and the fires are being kept low so as not to shed too much light
upon our movements."

"I am much honoured in placing myself at the disposal of so far-sighted
a commander," said Gerrard, a little stiffly, as he saluted. Charteris
laughed, and clapped him on the back with a friendly force no stiffness
could survive.

"Ain't we too old friends to stand on our dignity with each other, Hal?
I have taken a lot upon myself, I confess it, but you are in command
here, and I know it as well as you do. Jolly cheeky of me to offer you
advice, of course, but I couldn't see you rushing into destruction
without hinting at the fact."

"I know. It's all right, old boy. Well now, will you lead the
advance, as a favour to me?"

"Hal, you're a brick. No, I won't. You go first, with your own
Granthis, whom you have well in hand, I suppose? at any rate, they
won't fire unless you give the word. Then Rukn-ud-din, with the guns
and hotties--and incidentally the women--and then your humble servant
with the Darwanis. If they led, they would fire right and left for
pure devilry, but being in the rear, I think I can make them see the
necessity of waiting till they are attacked."

The evening meal had been hurriedly despatched during the course of
this conversation, and Gerrard now went out to summon Badan Hazari and
give him his orders, while Charteris saw to the packing of such of
their joint possessions as were not too heavy to impede a hasty flight.
The moon had barely risen when the column formed up for the march,
Gerrard and his men leading, the Agpuris, with the women, elephants,
guns and baggage in the centre, and Charteris with his Darwanis
bringing up the rear. He had taken the precaution to warn the sentries
round the tents to turn back any coolie who might try to creep out and
carry information to the main camp, while any outsider dropping in for
a little friendly conversation was to be gently but firmly detained,
and this, with the ruse of leaving the tents standing, kept Sher
Singh's men completely in the dark. There was a wild scene of
confusion when