"That settles it, Gil, lad," he said quickly. "You are thinking as I have been for the last quarter of an hour, are you not? That we are too late?" "Yes. They have deserted the place." "Undoubtedly. I ought to have grasped the notion at once. We could not have got into this village unchallenged. We have not been drilling before these men so many years for them to occupy a place like this without sentries." "Can we have failed?" I said despondently. "Oh no; say we have not succeeded yet," he cried cheerily, as he clapped me on the shoulder. "You and I are going to recapture those guns, Gil, my lad. We must; we must." "But what are you going to do now?" I asked. "Practise patience, lad. We have spent many hours over this vain struggle, and it is madness to go wandering about in the darkness, so let's get back to the village and pick out the best house we can, and rest till daylight. It is the only course open to us. There, we need not whisper now." "I wish I was stronger," I said rather despondently. "Bah! you are tired. So am I. Cheer up, lad. You'll feel like a new man when you've lain down for an hour. Nothing like it. Flat down on your back. It is the most refreshing thing there is." As he was speaking, we were following the track back toward the village, and as there was no need now to practise caution, the distance did not seem great before we were abreast of the houses again, and after passing his hands over the entrances of one or two, Brace entered the third cautiously, stood within; there was a rustling noise, a sharp crackling, and the match he had struck blazed up and spread what appeared to me quite a brilliant glare around. "No," he said sharply, "we are not dogs, to rest in such a kennel as this. There must be a decent house somewhere." But for a long time it seemed as if there was not, and I was ready to say, "Anything will do," when we cautiously entered another door; a light was struck, and though the place was deplorable enough, it did not look so desolate, and it had evidently lately been occupied, for there was a half-burned candle standing on a rough stool, and to this candle Brace applied his match. "Officers' quarters, I should say," he cried cheerily. "Why, Gil, this is the very thing; three charpoys, and there has been eating and drinking going on. But, look out!" He raised the candle with one hand, and with his sword advanced, made for a ragged purdah or curtain hanging from the roof just beyond the farthest native bedstead. "Here, Gil," he said sharply, "I'll defend you; come and snatch away this piece of hangings." I did as he told me, with my heart beating heavily the while, and, holding my sword ready, I snatched the purdah aside, when the light fell upon the thin, deeply lined face of an extremely old-looking Hindu, whose white beard seemed to quiver as he threw up his arms and fell down before us.