"Look at that now," said the Irishman; "jest, too, when I thought I'd
got a bit of lovely shpoil."
At that moment there was a rush of feet, and a tall grey officer hurried
in, followed by another, and quite a crowd of men.
"Have you found him?" cried the tall officer.
"Oh, bedad, yis, colonel," cried the Irishman.
"What! the rajah?"
"Yis, sor. There he is, only he shwears he's a liftinant in a troop."
"That!" cried the officer; and then, in a choking voice, "Why, Gil, my
boy, is this you?"
I could not speak, only cling to him who had a thousand times nursed me
in his arms.
"Hold up, boy, be a man," he whispered; but his arms tightened round me.
"I thought you were dead, Gil," he cried excitedly. "But why are you
like this?"
"I am a prisoner, father," I said.
"But the rajah?" he said excitedly. "Where is he?"
"He left here an hour ago to head his men," I said. "But, father, if
you take him, defend him; he has been very good to me."
"Let's take him first," cried my father. "Now, my lads, forward! He
must be somewhere in the place."
"Three cheers for the colonel's boy!" cried the Irishman. "Your hanner
should have been here a bit sooner to see him foight. Hi, Sam Raggett,
get up and show the colonel your ear. You're not half killed yet."
"Forward!" cried the colonel. Then to the officer with him. "Smith,
take charge of my son. A sergeant's guard, Gil," he cried from the
door. "Take off some of those things. You look like a sepoy chief. It
is not safe with the lads like this."
He hurried after his men, and the young officer held out his hand.
"Tell me," I said quickly; "Captain Brace--my troop?"
"Yonder, not a hundred yards away," he said. "Didn't you hear him
speak?"
"Yes," I cried. "Thank Heaven, then, it was he."
"Let's get out of here," said my new friend; "but hadn't you better
change your clothes?"
"He cannot, sahib," said a voice behind me. "He has none here."
"Hallo! who are you?" cried the officer.
"My servant," I cried, as I laid my hand on his arm. "Dost, you saved
my life."
"And he'll have to save it again," cried my new friend, "if we stay
here. Come along, and let's get among our men, for this palace swarms
with the enemy yet."
Even as he spoke, a couple of shots rang out, and as they were aimed at
us, we rapidly beat a retreat.