The sun was just rising when they started. One boat had been fitted up
with a bower of green boughs, for the use of the two ladies and their
four attendants. The other two carried the baggage.
After seeing them push off, the Rajah, his sons, and Dick returned to
the palace. Here for a couple of hours he held a sort of audience, and
gave his advice to the townspeople and others who came, in
considerable numbers, to consult with him. When this was done they
went into the courtyard, where all was ready for their departure.
The troop had, during the past week, been raised to two hundred men,
many of the young cultivators coming eagerly forward, as soon as they
heard that the Rajah was going to increase his troop, being anxious to
take a share in the adventures that might be looked for, and to avenge
the sufferings that had been inflicted on their friends by Hyder's
marauders. They were a somewhat motley troop, but this mattered
little, as uniformity was unknown among the forces of the native
princes.
The majority were stout young fellows. All provided their own horses
and arms, and although the former lacked the weight and bone of
English cavalry horses, they were capable of performing long journeys,
and of existing on rations on which an English horse would starve.
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