"Or India!" "That’s tosh. Twenty thousand men are no good for invading India, and they wouldn’t come this way in any case." "That’s just what I said to myself. Of course Afghanistan is much nearer, and they might catch the Amir napping by choosing this unusual road. But after all, what concerns us is our position here." "Yes. What have you been doing all day?" "Flying up and down like a swallow--or wasn’t it an eagle that dropped something on a Johnny’s bald skull--in the classics. I haven’t done that exactly, but I’ve had a little practice in bomb dropping." He related the manoeuvres by which he had checked the pursuit of the Pathans and driven the Kalmucks down-stream, and the subsequent adventurous flight of Nurla Bai. "Would you have let them shoot at him?" he asked. "The Babu was mad with me." "I don’t think I would. It wouldn’t be cricket, do you think? The Babu wouldn’t learn that sort of thing at Calcutta University!" "Have you had any trouble?" "Quite enough, I can assure you. In the small hours they tried to cross at the bridge, some of them floating themselves on water-skins. We beat them off at the cost of a few knocks. But some must have got past us over the hills--a mighty big round. We met a crowd of them on foot. Luckily it was all very sudden, and a charge scattered them. We lost one man, but we polished off a lot of them; the Pathans are perfect demons at fighting." "Well done, old chap! Charging was the very thing. These beggars can’t face it. I remember that in the Mutiny our men never charged without success. But what about the future? We’ve two courses open: to pack up and cut our sticks before the Mongols arrive, or to hang on and make the best defence we can. Candidly, I don’t see how we can hold the place with our little lot against such a host." "What about Thermopylae and Leonidas?" "Yes, but Xerxes hadn’t any artillery. Besides, if I’m not mistaken, Leonidas and his three hundred were cut up, to a man." "Only because a traitor showed the Persians a way round to their rear. Still, you know best." "I’ll send for old Gur Buksh. He’s seen a lot of service, and has a cool head. We’re better placed than Leonidas in one respect: traitor or no traitor, we can’t be got at from the rear." When the havildar arrived, Bob put the position to him exactly, omitting no detail, and glossing over none of the difficulties. "Now, havildar," he said in conclusion, "shall we run, or shall we fight? We ought to have plenty of time to get away. The enemy can’t advance in force until they have repaired the bridge, and they’ll have to do that thoroughly if they wish to bring their artillery across. It will take them at least a day, probably longer. We can reckon on twenty-four hours’ start." The havildar, a fine soldierly figure, stood in silence before the two lads, pondering deeply.