It was beautiful, the pluckiness of it, the impudence of it.

The arrest enraged the Rajah's people, and all Benares came storming about the place and threatening vengeance.

And yet, but for an accident, nothing important would have resulted, perhaps.

The mob found out a most strange thing, an almost incredible thing--that this handful of soldiers had come on this hardy errand with empty guns and no ammunition.

This has been attributed to thoughtlessness, but it could hardly have been that, for in such large emergencies as this, intelligent people do think.