"There were about five hundred of them came down, colonel, in seven different parties. As far as I can make out about three hundred of them were Turgars, and the others were Nagas and Kotahs. They killed about eighty men and carried off seventy or eighty women, and four or five hundred head of cattle. They burned four villages, and set on fire two or three houses here. Fortunately there was no wind, and the flames did not spread."
"Now as to the road, Nand Chund."
"The track, for they say it is nothing more up to the Turgar villages, crosses the river about two miles north of this place. There are five villages, all lying within a circle of about three miles. The nearest of them is six miles beyond the river. The fighting force is put as from twelve to fifteen hundred, but of course if the two other tribes aid them it would more than double that. There are some steep places on the road, and one very deep and narrow valley, quite a ravine I should say, to be passed through. If they get to know of our coming that is no doubt the place where they will fight. If we get through there before they can gather to oppose us they will, of course, make their stand at their villages, which are all high up on the hills."
"The men have made two marches of twenty miles each," the colonel said; "it would be as well that they should have a day's rest before we advance, for it will be a heavy day's work. Besides, I would rather that the Turgars should hold the ravine or any other strong points they may have. Were we to march through these before they were ready to oppose us, they would say afterwards that we could never have got through had they known we were coming, but if we show them that they can no longer rely upon being able to arrest the advance of a column, it may be a long time before they venture upon another raid like this. However strong the place is, you may be sure we shall be able to turn them out of it. That rocket tube will astonish them. Besides, however strong the valley is we ought to be able to outflank it. Another advantage of a fight there is, that if we turn them out with a good deal of loss we shall carry the villages more easily, for it will shake their courage if they find they are unable to hold the place they had relied on as the main defence of their villages."
Accordingly the force rested the next day, and on the morning following started before it was light, and reached the ford across the river just as day was breaking.
"I have no doubt they are prepared for us," the colonel said, as he watched the troops and guns making their passage. "They would hardly have expected that a force would make its appearance here so soon, but they are sure to have placed scouts on the hills to give them warning."
"It is a wild-looking country," Percy said, as the increasing light enabled them to see hill rising behind hill.
"Yes. A battery or two of horse artillery, knowing the country well and taking post on the hills, would make it very hot for us. Fortunately there is no fear of anything of that sort. The wall pieces are all they have, besides muskets and matchlocks. The road seems to go straight up the hill and over the crest," he went on, after examining the ground with his field-glasses.
"Ah! I can make out a group of three or four men, just to the left of that bush there. Do you see the smoke?—they have just lighted a fire. That is a signal, I have no doubt; as you see, the smoke is getting thicker and thicker."
Three or four minutes later two other columns of smoke were seen rising, one two or three miles to the right, the other as much to the left.