“They must be in a tight hole!” muttered Bellairs.  “Answer that, men!  All together, now!  Let ’em know we’re coming.”

The men rose in their stirrups all together, and sent roaring through the blackness the deep-throated “Hip-hip-hur-r-a-a-a-a-a!” that has gladdened more than one beleaguered British force in the course of history.  It is quite different from the “Hur-o-a-o-a-u-r-rh” of a forlorn hope, or the high-pitched note of pleasure that signals the end of a review.  It means “Hold on, till we get there, boys!” and it carries its meaning, clear and crisp and unmistakable, in its note.

The two beleaguered companies heard it and answered promptly with another cheer.

“By gad, they must be in a hole!” remarked Bellairs.

British soldiers do not cheer like that, all together, unless there is very good reason to feel cheerless.  They fight, each man according to his temperament, swearing or laughing, sobbing or singing comic songs, until the case looks grim.  Then, though, the same thrill runs through the whole of them, the same fire blazes in their eyes, and the last ditch that they line has been known to be a grave for the enemy.

“Trumpeter!  Sound close-order!”

The trumpet rang.  The advance-guard drew rein for the section to catch up.  The guns drew abreast of one another and the mounted gunners formed in a line, two deep, in front of them.  The ammunition-wagon trailed like a tail behind.

“That high ground over there, I think!” suggested O’Rourke.

“Thank you, sir.  Section, right!  Trot, march!  Canter!”

Crash went the guns and the following wagon across the roadside ditch.  The tired horses came up to the collar as service-horses always will, generous to the last ounce of strength they have in them.

“Gallop!”

The limbers bumped and jolted and the short-handled whips cracked like the sound of pistol-practise.  Blind, unreconnoitered, grim—­ like a black thunderbolt loosed into the blackness—­the two guns shot along a hollow, thundered up a ridge and burst into the fire-light up above the mutineers, in the last place where any one expected them.  A howl came from the road that they had left, a hundred sepoys had rushed down to block their passage the moment that their cheer had rung above the noise of battle.

“Action—­front!” roared young Bellairs, and the muzzles swung round at the gallop, jerked into position by the wheeling teams.

“With case, at four hundred!”

The orders were given and obeyed almost before the guns had lost their motion.  The charges had been rammed into the greedy muzzles before the horses were away, almost—­and that takes but a second—­the horses vanish like blown smoke when the game begins.  A howl from the mutineers told that they were seen; a volley from the British infantry announced that they were yet in time; and “boom-boom!” went both guns together.