In either case, you had better take Sufder and twenty men with you; and leave them in concealment within a few miles of the camp so that, in case of necessity, you can join them; and his men can act as messengers, and bring your reports to me." As it was now a year since Harry had first gone to Poona, and he had during that time worked diligently, he could now both read and write the Mahratta language, and was thus able to send in written reports; instead of being obliged to rely upon oral messages, which might be misdelivered by those who carried them, or possibly reported to others instead of to the minister; whereas reading and writing were known to but few of the Mahrattas, outside the Brahmin class.
Sufder expressed himself much pleased, when he heard that he was to accompany Harry.
"I am sick of this life of inactivity," he said.

"Why, we have had no fighting for the past five years; and we shall forget how to use our arms, unless there is something doing.

I would willingly accompany you into Scindia's camp, but I am far too well known there to hope to escape observation.

However, I will pick out twenty of my best men so that, if there should be a skirmish, we shall be able to hold our own.

Of course, I shall choose men who have good horses, for we may have to ride for it." Harry himself was very well mounted, for Mahdoo Rao had given him two excellent horses; and as he had, when out with Sufder's troop, tried them against the best of those of the sowars, he felt sure that he could trust to them, in case of having to ride for his life.