“Same as white feather,” said Wyatt as three horsemen, magnificently mounted, came sweeping across the plain, leaving the squadrons drawn up in position. One of them bore a small white flag at the end of a lance, and as the pair sat watching Hulton joined them.
“Treachery, as likely as not,” replied Wyatt. “But we shall soon see.”
“It’s the captain of the guard leading,” cried Dick excitedly; and a few minutes after their old acquaintance dashed right up to where they sat.
“I heard the guns,” he cried excitedly. “What has happened?”
“If you ride on a mile, sir, you will see,” said Hulton coldly.
“Part dead, part scattered among the mountains,” replied Hulton. “Why are you here, sir? What do you propose?”
“Then I have come too late,” said the officer, with a disappointed look.
“If you meant to join the Wazir—yes,” said Wyatt sharply; “but we are ready for an engagement with you at once.”
“Engagement? With me?” said the officer, staring. “I came to help you. As soon as the Rajah heard that the Wazir had left with a strong body to cut you off, he was in a rage. He said it was treachery to him as well as to you, when he had given orders that you should depart unmolested: and he bade me get together all the men I could trust, and fly to your help.”
“And you have brought the two regiments we helped to raise.”
“And my own guards, sir. They can be trusted to a man. Then we must pursue the Wazir and bring him back.”
The English officers looked searchingly at the speaker.
“Dead?” cried the captain excitedly. “Then there will be peace in Soojeepur at last. His head? Where is his head?”
“We do not take our enemies’ heads, Captain,” he said.
“No—no, I forgot,” cried the officer; “but it must be taken back to the city that the people may see. It means peace to our troubled country, and the end of his party now. Hah!” he cried, with a smile, “it was my own head that was not safe. I feel as if I live again, and now my master may, for if the Wazir had won this fight there would have been an end of the Rajah’s rule. Gentlemen, you must come back with me; the Rajah is at heart your friend. Let me escort you in triumph now.”
“We were on our way back,” said Hulton, smiling, for there was not a doubt of the officer’s honesty of purpose; and once more the teams cantered off to bring up the wagons, while Dick sent the sergeant to fetch the sword that had been taken to the hospital-wagon.