Possibly the rajah may have obtained the aid of a band of Pindarees, or of some other irregular troops; at any rate, it will give trouble to the convoy we left yesterday." He looked at the camp again.
"There is a stir in the valley, and it looks as if they had heard of that force out there, and are about to start to attack it." Three regiments of cavalry set out.

As they were getting ready, two horsemen could be seen to ride off, at a gallop, from a group of trees half a mile from the camp.

As soon as they approached the mass of horsemen in the distance, they turned and rode off at full speed.
"They have evidently no idea of fighting, today, whoever they are.
We may as well go down again, Abdool.

This is a grand lookout; and we shall, at any rate, get a general idea of the direction in which the attack will be made." Two days later they were able, from their lookout, to see that bodies of men came and went between the camp and a group of trees, halfway between it and the town.
"I expect that they are establishing a battery among those trees," Harry said, "and it will not be long before the affair begins." The next morning, six eighteen-pounders opened fire from the wood and, in the afternoon, another battery of eight mortars began throwing shells into the town.

The guns on the walls answered, and a brisk fire was kept up, for the next ten days.