“You realise that you are taking your lives in your hands? You will probably have to swim the canal higher up to join us, and, after all, we may not be able to wait for you. Your men will be volunteers, of course? They must understand that it’s a desperate business.”
“Yes, sir; but they’ll come like a shot. They’ve been out with us after markhor, and we’ve been in some tight places in the mountains. May we have what rockets we want?”
“By all means. Good luck go with you! I wish I was coming too!”
“That’s really handsome of the C.O.,” said Fitz, dodging a bullet as he clattered down the stairs into the courtyard with Winlock. “Grand firework display to-night! What a pity that the ladies and all the refugees can’t have front seats on the ramparts to watch the tamasha!”
CHAPTER XVI.
THE DARKEST HOUR.
“Sahib, there is a man under the wall on the east side.”
“How did he come there?” demanded Colonel Graham angrily. “What are the sentries doing?”
“The night is so dark, sahib, that he crept up unnoticed. He is the holy mullah Aziz-ud-Din, and desires speech with your honour.”
“The Amir’s mullah? You are sure of it?”
“I know his voice, sahib. He is holding his hands on high, to show that he has no weapons.”