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He’s a wee bit deef when it comes to listening, if that’s no a daft thing tae say. Ye’ll have the stripes off mah arm and it took aye too long tae get them there, ah’m afraid.’
    Jack nodded. ‘All right, Jock. I understand. Good to see you again, anyway. I’d shake your hand but it’d look a bit unsol-dierly to those two kilted Colossi, guarding the gates of the Good and Great.’
    ‘Aye, I’d rather ye didn’t, but the feeling’s mutual, lieutenant. Ye deserve the rank. How’s the hand?’
    Jack held up the stump. ‘Gone.’
    ‘But no a bother, ah hope?’
    ‘I’m getting used to it.’
    Jack left his old friend Jock and went back to his group. King was incensed when he learned they were being ignored.
    ‘What are we here for, sir? Just to look pretty?’
    ‘I thought it was to draw maps, Sergeant.’
    King flinched. ‘Well, that’s the most important thing, I’ll grant, but there is this other side to our work . . .’
    Despite advice, Walpole attacked the fort from the jungle. The Highlanders and the Punjabis became entangled in the undergrowth and those in the fort had a field day. They could not believe their luck. Nirpat Singh had intended to make a token resistance, then beg for terms. Instead the rebel leader took advantage of the incredibly bad tactics of the brigadier. The British took many casualties, including one popular high-ranking officer among the many who were slaughtered, and the troops were incensed. Wave after wave of infantry was halted and finally the brigadier came to his senses and ordered the withdrawal of the Highlanders and Punjabis, bringing up his cannons rather too late to bombard the fort’s walls and towers.
    Sajan stood by a gun crew and watched them go through their actions. The boy was as fascinated by the gunners as he was with the map-making of his adopted father. He loved mechanical devices, whether their purpose be peace or war. Most of his short life had thus far been spent as a punka wallah in a rajah’s guest bedroom. Now here he was, out and about in the world, able to witness an attack on a fort. It was exciting and enthralling to a youngster of his age. He watched as the sponge-man swabbed out the barrel while the ventsman placed a leather-covered thumb over the vent’s aperture to prevent any explosion from a residue of the last charge. Then the next charge and round were rammed home. He noticed that the spongestaff only needed to be reversed to provide the rammer. Once the charge and shot were rammed home the ventsman inserted a pricker down the vent aperture to puncture the charge bag. Finally the firer put a smouldering portfire to the vent and the shot was sent on its way.
    Each time the gun was fired, Sajan jumped with the noise, even though he had his fingers in his ears.
    ‘Big bang!’ he kept saying. ‘When I am as old as my father, I shall make a gun with a noise no louder than a
pop.
’
    The artillery attack continued into the dark night.
    In the morning Walpole was furious to find the fort empty. Nirpat Singh and his men had escaped during the night. It was a hollow victory. Jack knew that the troops had been close to mutiny when they realized what a mess their brigadier had made of the battle, and Walpole narrowly escaped being executed by his own men. It was clear to everyone he was no military leader and many officers wanted him replaced immediately. However, as with such situations, nothing was done at the time. Walpole ordered the column to march on to Fatehgarh, where they were joined by General Campbell and his column, who assumed command and took them on to Shahjahanpur, which was also found evacuated. Finally the combined force reached Miranpur Katra well inside Rohilkand. Awaiting them were the troops of one General Penny, who had been killed earlier in an ambush.
    It was here too, that Major Lovelace caught up with his intelligence unit and briefed Jack.
    ‘Campbell has missed catching the Maulvi at Shahjahanpur,’