‘Wellesley!’ He smiled as he greeted his subordinate, then gestured to the men drawn up on either side.‘You’re a step ahead of me. I got your message and my men are forming to your right. Baird’s brigade will be closest to you. I had thought to camp for the night and tackle them tomorrow. But, as we have the enemy in sight, it would be foolish not to give him a thrashing.’

Arthur felt a surge of relief at his superior’s words, and nodded. ‘Very well, sir. What are your plans?’

‘Nothing clever. No need to do much more than let good training and stout hearts have their way. We’ll advance on the ridge and take it. The cavalry will screen our flanks and keep Tipoo’s rascals at bay with those galloper guns you allocated to our lads.’

‘Very good, sir.’

‘All right then, Wellesley. I’ll be off to take up position in the centre. As soon as you hear our guns fire, you can begin to advance. Don’t waste any time. We have to force the enemy to fight before they lose their nerve.’

Once the general had gone, Arthur and Fitzroy rode up and down the line to make sure that the men were properly spaced. Almost at once there was the crack of a light gun away to the right.

Fitzroy muttered, ‘Bloody hell, that was quick. If it was the signal, that is.’

Arthur glanced to the right and saw that Baird’s brigade had started forward. ‘Well, if it wasn’t the signal, it is now.’ He filled his lungs and called out, ‘Fix bayonets!’

The men neatly reached for their bayonets, drew them out and slotted them on to the ends of their muskets. Back in Europe bayonets would only be fixed once it was clear that any exchange of fire was over. But here in Mysore, where the enemy cavalry could appear and disappear in an instant, Arthur decided that his men might only have the chance to fire once before they were charged.

‘The line will advance, at the quick step!’