In a flash I realised the tactical error I had made in leaving the main force three-quarters of a mile away, and before I had made certain that Jiand's men had not occupied Karsimabad. These men held their magazine rifles, which were always loaded, across their knees. From where we sat, I now realised, and too late, that I could not see, or signal to, my own small force, and that, except by a miracle, it would be equally ignorant of these proceedings. I glanced quickly behind me at the fifteen or sixteen cavalrymen I had brought, saw that they had dismounted and were holding their lances in their hands, whilst their rifles remained in the buckets on the off-sides of the horses. A bad position for getting at them when dismounted and at a moment's notice. It was obvious that I had allowed myself to be caught in a trap. We all knew it, though not one man with me showed it by the quiver of an eyelid. I turned to the man whom Murad had brought forward and placed before me as the burner of the stacks of straw. "How dare you burn my bhusa? What reason had you for doing it, and who told you to do it?" Before the man, who was trembling like a leaf, had time to answer, Nur-Mahommed sprang up and shouted: "The country is ours and everything in it. We will burn the bhusa, or burn anything we like." And he glared at Sanders and myself in a way that left no doubt as to his meaning. I told him angrily to sit down, as I was not talking to him. For answer he assumed a threatening attitude, and openly sneered at me for attempting to give orders I could not enforce. I ordered a sepoy to arrest him. What followed all happened in a flash. The sepoy had scarcely moved a step to obey when every one of Jiand's men leapt to their feet and brought their rifles to the present. I must confess to having acted automatically. Indeed, there was no time to think or do otherwise. I literally roared at them. "How dare you, you dogs? Sit down this instant!" I reached out my hands towards Jiand who was close to me, and, in a paroxysm of rage, forced him down by my side. "Sit down!" I roared again into the dark faces of the men surrounding us. Hesitation and doubt spread amongst that threatening crowd--and the bulk of them sat down! They were now given no time to recover their poise. Sanders and the escort were at once ordered to disarm the men who remained standing. Like a flash my men darted forward, only too thankful to take action instead of waiting to be shot down, and in a twinkling had wrenched their rifles from the scowling brutes who were hesitating as to whether they would shoot first or submit. They were looking to their Chief for a lead. But Jiand, that once invincible warrior, had lost his nerve, and now sat cowering, unable either to make a decision or dominate his own men. So, whilst they stood, furtive and undecided, they were disarmed and left helpless.