"And know that it grew more distant as they were beaten off, till they turned and fled. I came back then. I cannot fight with flying foes. It was a mad attempt, a last desperate struggle, just a little flashing up of an expiring fire. By now it is dead, and you will hear of them no more." We both sprang to our feet, for, as he spoke, there was a crashing volley not far away--a volley such as would be fired only by well-drilled troops--and directly after there was another, followed by a scattered firing, and shouts rising up to a perfect roar. Ny Deen, who looked astounded, made for the door, and in my excitement I followed him; but he thrust me back, and turned to the guard standing beyond the hangings. "Your lives for his!" he thundered to them. "He does not leave this place." The curtain was thrown between us, and I ran to the open window, to find the court full of troops hurrying here and there, while lights were flashing, and in the midst of the excitement the rattle of distant musketry was on the increase. "Crushed--scattered--where are my friends?" I said aloud. "Why, they are here. It is an attack upon the town!" I felt a little doubt as soon as I had uttered these words; but the longer I listened the more convinced I felt that this must be a surprise, and by degrees matters took their shape in my mind, thus accounting for the apparent ease with which the rajah had scattered his enemies. "It has all been a ruse--a piece of strategy," I thought. "They have retreated, and drawn Ny Deen's men right away, so as to weaken him, and now they have got back first, or this is another force." As I stood at that window, I, for the moment, thought of throwing myself down, but the attempt would have been madness, for the moon was now up nearly full, and helping the torches to flood the place with light which flashed from the tank, and made the fountain resemble molten silver. I gave up the thought at once, for I could see a strong guard were watching my windows, and that I was carefully observed as I sat down and listened to the increasing roar away to my right, where the shouting, cheering, and yelling were mingled strangely with the bursts of firing which grew nearer. I seemed to see the fight going on, and grew more excited moment by moment, as I knew by the sounds exactly how matters progressed. For, as I judged, a body of infantry was fighting its way along a street, and every now and then a sharp volley was heard, followed by a tremendous cheer, which suggested to me that the men fired, and then made a rush forward, driving their enemies back; and then after a short space another volley was fired, followed by a fresh rush, and so on, the fusillade sounding each time nearer.