“Neither will be best, sir,” said Hulton gravely. “To be of most service I must be free. We can help you better by riding in advance on either flank where-ever it is open. But, tell me, are there any mountain-passes beyond the forest there?”
“No; open ground fit for cavalry. If we are forced to retire, make for the city at once. We can hold that.”
“And we shall be of no use,” thought Hulton as he saluted the Rajah and rode back to the troop, fully determined to act as he thought best, and not to be shut up in the city if it was possible to maintain himself and his men outside.
Giving the order to dismount, to rest the horses for a few minutes, he had a short consultation with Wyatt, telling him all he had heard from the Rajah.
“He must go on his own way,” he said in Dick’s hearing. “It will be a fight quite in the old fashion, as they have always fought, but it will be against an enemy who fights in the same way; so, if they are not too many, our bit of civilised warfare may turn the tables on the Rajah’s side.”
A few dozen more mounted men came galloping up to join the Rajah’s force, and then he evidently made preparations for an advance.
“He is wrong,” said Hulton, “for there are narrow roads and jungle yonder, while here he has room for his cavalry to act.”
Then, seeing that the Rajah was sending out detachments to feel for the enemy, and two more at intervals to act as supports, the captain felt better satisfied, knowing that the attack on the part of the enemy could not occur without due warning; while, to make the best use he could of the guns, he moved the troop up to a little hill, which gave him a commanding view of the country for a couple of miles round—the detachments of cavalry sent forward coming once more into view—but the glass showed no sign of the enemy.
Wyatt came to where Dick was seated once, looked at him sharply, and nodded.
“It may turn out to be a false alarm,” he said. “Humph! Hulton thinks so too,” he added, for the order was given to dismount, so as to ease the horses as much as possible, and keep them fresh for any work they might be called upon to do.