Seeing a number of people moving about, he had roused his companions.

They had got out of the window at the back of the hut.

Here their horses had been picketed and, mounting at once, they rode out, just as a body of men made a rush at the door of their hut.

By the use of their pistols and swords they had broken through these and, seeing the crowd in front of the hut that Harry had occupied, they charged without hesitation.
The villagers, unprepared for such an attack, fell back; losing their hold of Harry, and Abdool, whom they had also captured.

The latter darted away and, in a few seconds, returned leading the two horses.
"Shall we set the houses alight, before we start, sahib ?" one of the troopers asked.
"No; they may rally in a minute or two, and the sooner we are out of it, the better." He turned and started at once and, as he did so, a dropping fire from matchlocks and guns was opened upon them.