The rider yanked his reins and veered his mount towards Arthur. It was the chief of the hircarrah scouts, a man whose reliability Arthur had come to trust. He had been sent ahead of the column to gain knowledge of Goklah’s movements and report back. Now he reined in and Arthur saw at once that both the man and his mount were exhausted from days of hard riding.

‘What is it?’ Arthur asked in Hindoostani. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Goklah has been defeated by Dhoondiah Waugh, sahib. Six days ago.’

‘Defeated?’ Arthur shook his head. It could not be true. Goklah had over fifteen thousand men and eight guns. He looked closely at the scout. ‘How did this happen?’

‘Sahib, I was not there,’ the scout replied carefully. ‘I met some survivors hiding in a nullah. They told me what had happened. They were ambushed as they camped for the night. I rode on to the battlefield to see with my own eyes, and it was true, sahib. A shallow valley filled with the dead.’

‘And Goklah? What of him?’

‘Dead, sahib. The men saw it, and they said that Dhoondiah Waugh himself dyed his beard in the blood of Goklah.’

Arthur continued to stare at the man for a moment, as the column tramped past. He was aware of Fitzroy at his side, fretting to know the nature of the news the scout had brought. He told the scout to join the column, but not to speak a word of the fate of Goklah. As the man rode off he turned to Fitzroy and spoke in an undertone.

‘Goklah is dead. His army is destroyed.’

‘Good God . . . What now, sir?’

‘What now? We carry on with the plan.’

‘Sir?’ Fitzroy looked surprised. ‘How can we? Goklah’s army was three times the size of ours. If Dhoondiah Waugh can defeat Goklah, what chance have we got?’

‘Man for man, our forces are more than a match for any army on this continent. As long as we hold the column together we have little to fear. Besides, with such a victory under his belt, Dhoondiah Waugh might become reckless enough to face us in battle. And if he does, then he is doomed, Fitzroy. Hold to that thought.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Fitroy replied uncertainly.

Arthur turned his mount back towards the head of the column and with a click of his dry tongue he gently urged Diomed forward.