"Trusting to the bayonet!" exclaimed Munro in astonishment. "That's not like an Asiatic, but he's right."

They heard but could not distinguish Bahram Khan's commands, and saw the sepoys empty their muskets and begin to fix bayonets. Their hearts were beating wildly, and small shame to them, for they were helpless and could not strike back--as helpless as condemned criminals bound and gagged. Would the word never be given to fire? What was the matter now?

Waiting in silent agony for the fatal word, they perceived the Pathan commandant turn hastily to his gunners, who stood port-fire in hand.

Quick as thought, before rebels or onlookers could realize what was taking place, the muzzles of the guns were turned slightly to the right and lowered, and ere the assemblage had time to wonder, a shower of grape was belched forth into the clustered ranks of the faithless Sikhs of the 138th. At the very same instant, before sepoys or besieged were able to take in what had happened, the hundred men of the Guides--or as many of them as were not helping their gunner comrades--brought their rifles (for theirs were still loaded) to the shoulder, and blazed away into the helpless mass of brown humanity. The rebels fell in scores, mown down by the heavy discharge. One or two of the native officers attempted to rally them, but the cannon, well and promptly served by the Guides, cut lanes through the mob; and the well-aimed, disciplined volley-firing of the Pathans and Gurkhas augmented the confusion.

For some seconds open-mouthed wonder kept all our friends silent. The whole world seemed topsy-turvy.

Then one man grasped the situation.

"Oh, splendid!... Well played, Guides, well played!" shouted Leigh; and the garrison screamed and danced in a delirium of enthusiasm as their senses came back to them, and they understood.

"What is it? What does it mean?" demanded Ethel breathlessly and the sick from the hospital-room echoed the cry.

"It's the Guides!" was shouted back. "The Guides have been shamming mutiny. They've got possession of the guns, and have turned them on the traitors!"

Thrice did the mutineers attempt a rally, but the Sikhs--the staunchest of the rebels--had been almost blown away by the discharge of grape, and the poorbeahs dared not face that terrible fire--those spurts of flame that blazed forth, section by section, without hurry and without confusion, from the steady, levelled rifles.

In the Commissioner's house the Pathan messenger howled and shrieked in his excitement, then, snatching up rifle and sword, he darted from the sheltering walls and cut his way through the terrified rebels to the side of his comrades.

"Look!" cried Lieutenant Leigh. "Bahram Khan has given aver the command--to a private soldier, too!"

He pointed towards a dark-visaged man, of middle height and sturdy build, in the uniform of a sepoy of the Guide Corps, who was now directing the sectional volley-firing. At the same moment the mutineers broke away in all directions--two thousand men cowed by six score!

"Why, that's Jim!--that's my brother!" screamed our ensign joyfully.

Ethel gave one look, recognized the long scar that showed on the stained face, and sank down, and to Ted's bewilderment burst into tears.

"Well, that's a rummy go!" he murmured under his breath. "What on earth should she blub for now that she knows he's safe?"

As the flying, panic-stricken mutineers approached the beleaguered house, they received a fresh and hardly less deadly fusillade from the jubilant garrison. They scattered in all directions, staggering in blind terror. Through the narrow streets ran and stumbled the defeated sepoys, and after them rushed fifty of the terrible men in drab, the active little Gurkhas being ever to the front. So thorough was the panic evoked by the surprise, that here and there a dozen or even a score of the rebels might be seen running with terrified eyes and panting breath from a single fierce Afridi or Yusufzai of the hills, or still fiercer Gurkha from the Himalayan snows; and Ted acknowledged his error of judgment as he saw one of these little Nepalese Highlanders charge single-handed a group of ten or a dozen Wahabi fanatics who were attempting a rally. Cutting down four in rapid succession with his kukri, heeding the long knives no more than cardboard, the fearless little fellow scattered the remainder like sheep, and chased them until their long legs carried them far out of his reach.

Up flew the Union Jack to the top of the fort flagstaff, and Captain Russell, recalling his pursuing men, posted guards around the place. The loyal Rajputs, rejoicing now that they had not accepted Major Munro's permission to desert, had not dared join in the fray except by their fire from windows and roof, for had they shown themselves outside they would undoubtedly have been slain by the rescuers.

But now the little garrison marched out in safety, carrying the wounded in their midst, for not a rebel was to be seen. Never had surprise been more complete! At the same moment Captain Russell issued forth at the head of half his men to escort the survivors inside the wing of the fort that had not been demolished.

There was no time for more than a hasty grip of the hand and a look exchanged between two pairs of eyes, telling more eloquently than any speech of the lips its tale of love, anxiety, and deep, grateful joy.

Ethel had thought her lover dead; Jim had hardly dared to hope that both sweetheart and brother had survived the massacre. We can imagine the unspoken joy. Leaving Leigh and Ted with a strong guard within the fort, Munro, Captain Russell, and Paterson sallied forth at the head of one hundred and fifty Guides and no less eager Rajputs, and chased the panic-filled pandies from street to street to prevent them from reassembling. Long before mid-day the rebels had streamed out of the town in all directions, a wholesome fear planted deep within their breasts.

One room had been apportioned to the ladies, and others to officers and sepoys, but all the Europeans came together to cheer their rescuers.

Colonel Woodburn was now well enough to greet his future son-in-law, whose exciting story all gathered round to hear. Jim told it simply.

"Well, for a gang of double-dyed traitors commend me to the Guides and their English and native officers!" exclaimed Munro, his eyes twinkling with delight at the thought of the trick.

"All Bahram Khan's idea," laughed Jim. "We'd sent scouts ahead, and yesterday we heard of the arrival of the 138th and learned that they possessed artillery. I felt that I'd no right to risk my handful against such overwhelming odds, so I consulted the ressaidar[8]. That gentlemen also thought the task hopeless at first, then he suddenly burst out into a demoniacal laugh.

[8] A native officer of cavalry.

"'Why, Captain Sahib,' said he,'why shouldn't we mutiny? We could kill you and make friends with the poorbeahs. Then I'd take command of the rebels--the curs will only be too glad to have me--and I could get possession of the guns and post the men as I choose. With our men at the guns and behind the guns, we can sweep the poorbeahs from off the earth!'

"It was a glorious idea; we explained it to the men, who took it in like so many school-boys. Those little Gurkha fiends turned somersault as they thought of the pandies[9] being taken in; and they laughed till the tears rolled down their smooth cheeks. I stained my face and put on one of the men's uniforms, whilst Bahram Khan squeezed himself into mine, and everything worked beautifully."

[9] A nickname for rebels. Mongul Pandy was the name of the first noted mutineer.

"And did no one suspect?" asked the major.

"Not a soul! You see, there never were such rabid haters of the British as we have been for the past twenty-four hours! We were quite willing to eat you all, either cooked or raw; no half-measures with the Guides!"

"You disgustin' treacherous brutes!" chirped our ensign, who was in a state of wild and gleeful excitement.

Bahram Khan stood by, grinning, well pleased with his handiwork, as were all these stalwart soldiers of the Guide Corps. Jim Russell's story ended, the deputy-commissioner passed his arm through Munro's, and, announcing that he wished to consult him with respect to granting a reward to the loyal Rajputs, he led the major from the room. The remark was accompanied by a significant look, and, taking the hint, the remaining officers made some excuse to leave.

The ladies saw and understood, and in a few moments Jim and Ethel were left alone. They were grateful, yet for some moments not a word was uttered by either. The precious time was not exactly wasted, though.

"My poor girl, what you must have suffered!" Jim murmured as he held her hands within his own and fondled them.

"Are you really here, Jim, or am I dreaming? It seems too good to be true."

"I think I really am here," was the reply, and Jim set to work to convince her.

"You have heard how poor Markham was killed, and Tynan and Lewis and Arden?"

Jim nodded and tightened his grip of the hands until she winced.

"What a brute I am!" he penitently exclaimed, covering the little hands with kisses.

"I--I liked it, Jim.---- But you know you oughtn't to reward yourself for being a brute."

There was another interval of silence.

"And so the young 'un has behaved like a brick!" said Jim at length.

"I'm proud of the kid."

"I should just think he has. I really believe I shall have to marry you, Captain Russell, if only to have Ted for a brother. I think he likes me now."

"I'll punch the young 'un's head if he doesn't," declared the brutal Jim. "It's very decent of the others to give us this good time, little woman."

"It is, indeed. Oh, Jim, are you sure we're not dreaming? Can you stay here with your men?"

The captain shook his head sadly.

"I don't know what to do until I have consulted Munro and Fletcher and your father. We must follow the rest of the corps as quickly as possible, and I think the best plan will be for you all to come with us, if we can obtain horses and ekkas for the wounded and the ladies, until we can drop you at the first safe place."

"Cannot Sir Arthur, as head of the district, countermand your orders to join the Guide Corps at once? If he says that you are needed here, I should think he has authority to detain you. Besides, you and your men are now under father, or rather under Major Munro, whilst you remain here, and you will have to do as they order."

Jim laughed.

"I wish it were so; but it happens to be John Lawrence himself who has sent us to Delhi, and he said he wanted us to get there quickly. And when Jan Larens says 'do this' you've got to do it, and do it smartly.