About half a mile away dense clouds of dust were rising in the air and falling again to the rear, concealing all traces of the makers of the disturbance, except that a few armed horsemen in front were partially visible.
“I thought at first it might be a body of rebel horse,” observed Hira Singh, “but it moves too slowly for that.”
“Bullock-carts, I should say,” suggested the young officer, as he trained his glasses on the spot.
“That is what I think. There is an escort, so perhaps they carry the poorbeahs’ stores or ammunition or loot. Anyhow, we had better mount and capture it.”
They were now within about thirty miles of Agra, and the sun’s rays were darting through the foliage, the golden light playing upon the flashing sabres and glittering lance-points as the troop swept forward. Ted’s men were curiously equipped, some with shields, a number with carbines; some had sabres, others lances, and many had both; and all were seated upon native saddles of felt. Yet Ted was a proud boy that morning, for, motley as was the collection, they were fine-looking men, and were they not acting under his orders! He would have been less proud had he known what his men were charging.
The fine dust deadened the drumming of the hoofs, and until half the intervening distance had been covered the cloud in front moved forward, and rose and fell with regular cadence. Then the procession halted; they had been seen or heard.
Hira Singh laughed, and, lowering his lance-point, tightened the grip of his knees on the saddle.
“Only a rebel escaping with his goods and family,” said he; “but we may as well slay them, sahib, for without doubt they deserve it.”
“Not so, Hira Singh. Let us speak them fair. We cannot tell who they are.”
There were two curtained gharris or carts, each drawn by two soft-eyed bullocks. Protecting these rode three horsemen, who now stood awaiting the onslaught, two with levelled muskets, the third with drawn sword. It was evident that the gharris contained their womenfolk, as for nothing less would they have stood their ground against fifty.