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126  prospects — their professed friendship seemed apparently to have no bounds!

With regard to Buste itself, its suburbs had been transformed into a huge military cantonment, as by the wave of a magician’s wand; and on our occupying the sheds and huts which had been constructed for the Brigade, we were indeed thankful for having at last got into even such rough quarters, as a harbour of refuge, after our merciless experiences and ruthless toil. But these pleasant reflections were soon dispelled by the indefatigable rebels having again reappeared in the neighbourhood of Cuptāngung. Undoubtedly, their only object in displaying all this activity, was merely to harass the Brigade while the hot weather lasted, for they were well aware that the sun was as much our mortal enemy, as he was their powerful ally. But for all that, so soon as the shadows of evening fell upon the land, we were once more on the wing, with the prospect of attacking the “Devils” on the morrow.

As we crept along at a snail’s pace in a sultry night, it was top dark to notice anything; but there was an ominous stillness in the air like that foreboding the approach of a tropical storm.

The hot winds had lulled themselves to rest with the sun, the country still panted with glowing heat, and the sky, though cloudless, was dimmed by a brassy film that obscured the stars. Suddenly from the far-off distance a dull rumbling sound resembling thunder was heard, followed by vivid flashes of lightning on the horizon. Presently we were unexpectedly