Brooke smiled.
“I know the place, sir,” he said. “It is a walled and fortified city with gates, and the European quarter, where we have been besieged, is surrounded by open gardens, and there are wide roads from the north-west gate. You will find no enemy in the plain; they will have marched in by the north-east gate, the nearest to here. I can take you round unseen to the north-west, where, by a sudden dash of the lancers, the gate could be surprised, and they could charge right down the open road, followed by you and your guns right up to the Residency entrenchments, and obtain admittance with the guns before the scoundrels had recovered from their surprise. Of course they would come on again by hundreds or thousands; but your well-served guns can hold them at bay till the colonel comes up with his men.”
Brace remained thoughtful for a few minutes.
“This is quite opposed to the colonel’s ideas,” he said at last; “but it certainly sounds feasible, if we can pass the gate, and the road is open for the horse to charge.”
“I guarantee that,” said Mr Brooke; “and if the manoeuvre is executed with spirit, it cannot fail.”
“Then it cannot fail,” said Brace, with a smile. “What do you say, sir?” he continued, appealing to the lancer captain.
“I say it is the wisest thing to do, always supposing the enemy is not outside. Then we ought to try to harass him only, and keep him engaged.”
“But the rajah is clever enough to find out our weakness, and we shall be driven back further and further, till we can do comparatively little, I am afraid, but encourage our friends by the sound of our guns. The surprise is the plan—if it can be carried out. We will try.”
Very little more was said as we advanced, keeping a bright look-out forward for cavalry, who would gallop back and announce our approach. Of people on foot we had no fear, for we could reach Nussoor long before them; and at last the broad track in the dusty plain left by the rajah’s force was quitted, Mr Brooke leading us off at an angle, and making for higher ground with patches of forest trees.
Among these he made his way till, at the densest part, he pointed south, and announced that we were passing the city, which lay in a hollow about a mile away.