"Well, we must see what we can do for you tonight. And now," he asked, as
they trotted along at the head of the column, amid the smiles of the men
at the appearance of their commanding officer carrying, as it seemed, a
native woman _en croupe_, "how did you escape, boys? We did not miss you
until we halted for half an hour at midnight. Then six of us rode back ten
miles, but could find no trace of you, and we gave you up as lost; so we
rode on till we met Major Renaud's force coming up, when we sent our
rescued friends on to Allahabad, and turned back with just a shadow of
hope that we might yet find you alive somewhere or other."

Dick then told the story of the intervention of the tiger in their behalf,
and said that afterward an Indian lady had succored them, hinting that at
the end of the war it was probable that Ned would present his father with
a daughter-in-law.

"That's all very well," Ned laughed. "If Dick had understood the language,
I should have been nowhere. You should have seen him kiss her hand."

"Well, anyhow," Dick said, "she was a brick, father, and no mistake."

By this time Synee was reached. In spite of Major Warrener's liberal
offers, no horses or even ponies were forthcoming, so completely had the
Sepoys stripped the country, most of the villages having been burned as
well as plundered by them. From the valises of the troop various articles
of clothing were contributed, which enabled the lads again to take their
places in the ranks, but riding as before _en croupe_. In two hours after
their arrival at Synee they were moving forward again at a trot, and in
four hours came up with Major Renaud's force, encamped for the day.