"I will give you food," the peasant said, "but you had better go to the
rajah's, his house is over there, half an hour's walk. He has four
Englishmen there who came from the river, and he is the friend of the
Feringhees."

Delighted at the news, the boys went forward. As they entered the
courtyard of the house they were greeted with a hearty salutation in
English, and their hands were clasped a moment afterward by Lieutenant
Delafosse, an officer who had greatly distinguished himself in the defense
of Cawnpore, and was one of the few survivors. He took them in to the
rajah, who received them most kindly, and after they had been fed
Lieutenant Delafosse told them how he and his three comrades had escaped.

The boat had, although many on board had been hit by rifle balls, escaped
the first day. She was crowded, and very low in the water, having on board
most of those who had been in the two boats sunk by the enemy. The next
day they were again fired at without effect by artillery, infantry
accompanying the boat all day, and keeping up an incessant fire. On the
third day the boat was no longer serviceable, and grounded on a sand-bank.
Then the enemy's infantry fired so heavily that those still able to carry
arms, fourteen in number, made for the shore and attacked their foes.
These fell back, and the handful of Englishmen followed them. Great
numbers of the enemy now came up, and the English took refuge in a little
temple; here they defended themselves till the enemy piled bushes at the
entrance, and set them on fire. Then the English burst through the flames,
and made again for the river. Seven out of the twelve who got through the
fire reached the river, but of these two were shot before they had swum
far. Three miles lower down, one of the survivors, an artilleryman,
swimming on his back, went too near the bank and was killed. Six miles