Fresh and fleet footed, they arrived some minutes before Harry's party and, as these entered the place, they found the whole population in the street, the men armed with spears and krises.
Asking the way, they soon reached the rajah's palace, which consisted of a central house, round which a number of huts were built; the whole surrounded by a stone wall, some eight feet high.
The rajah, when they arrived, was questioning some of his people as to the cause of this sudden alarm.

He was greatly surprised at the sight of Harry, in his full uniform, attended only by one soldier and a native.
"How comes it that you arrive like this ?" he asked, angrily.
"Explain what has happened," Harry said, to the interpreter.
The rajah's brow darkened, as he heard how the escort he had sent down had been slain, to a man, on the previous day.

But his excitement increased, when told that a strong force of his enemy was gathered within a few miles of the town; and that an assault might be immediately expected.
"Will you tell the rajah that I am used to warfare, and shall be glad to assist him, to the best of my power, in the defence of his town ?" "How many men were there ?" the rajah asked.
"I should think there were a couple of thousand," Harry replied.
"Some of them had matchlocks, but the greater part of them only spear and kris." "And we have not more than five hundred," the rajah said.

"We cannot hope to resist them.

What think you ?" "I will at once go round the town, and see," Harry said.