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Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and
Machine Learning
Introduction to
Algorithms for Data
Mining and Machine
Learning

Xin-She Yang
Middlesex University
School of Science and Technology
London, United Kingdom
Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier
125 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AS, United Kingdom
525 B Street, Suite 1650, San Diego, CA 92101, United States
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Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
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This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other
than as may be noted herein).
Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our
understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using
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from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

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A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-12-817216-2

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Publisher: Candice Janco

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Typeset by VTeX
About the author

Xin-She Yang obtained his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Ox-
ford. He then worked at Cambridge University and National Physical Laboratory (UK)
as a Senior Research Scientist. Now he is Reader at Middlesex University London, and
an elected Bye-Fellow at Cambridge University.
He is also the IEEE Computer Intelligence Society (CIS) Chair for the Task Force
on Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management, Director of the International
Consortium for Optimization and Modelling in Science and Industry (iCOMSI), and
an Editor of Springer’s Book Series Springer Tracts in Nature-Inspired Computing
(STNIC).
With more than 20 years of research and teaching experience, he has authored
10 books and edited more than 15 books. He published more than 200 research pa-
pers in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings with more
than 36 800 citations. He has been on the prestigious lists of Clarivate Analytics and
Web of Science highly cited researchers in 2016, 2017, and 2018. He serves on the
Editorial Boards of many international journals including International Journal of
Bio-Inspired Computation, Elsevier’s Journal of Computational Science (JoCS), In-
ternational Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems, and International
Journal of Computer Mathematics. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the International
Journal of Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Optimisation.
Preface

Both data mining and machine learning are becoming popular subjects for university
courses and industrial applications. This popularity is partly driven by the Internet and
social media because they generate a huge amount of data every day, and the under-
standing of such big data requires sophisticated data mining techniques. In addition,
many applications such as facial recognition and robotics have extensively used ma-
chine learning algorithms, leading to the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence.
From a more general perspective, both data mining and machine learning are closely
related to optimization. After all, in many applications, we have to minimize costs,
errors, energy consumption, and environment impact and to maximize sustainabil-
ity, productivity, and efficiency. Many problems in data mining and machine learning
are usually formulated as optimization problems so that they can be solved by opti-
mization algorithms. Therefore, optimization techniques are closely related to many
techniques in data mining and machine learning.
Courses on data mining, machine learning, and optimization are often compulsory
for students, studying computer science, management science, engineering design, op-
erations research, data science, finance, and economics. All students have to develop
a certain level of data modeling skills so that they can process and interpret data for
classification, clustering, curve-fitting, and predictions. They should also be familiar
with machine learning techniques that are closely related to data mining so as to carry
out problem solving in many real-world applications. This book provides an introduc-
tion to all the major topics for such courses, covering the essential ideas of all key
algorithms and techniques for data mining, machine learning, and optimization.
Though there are over a dozen good books on such topics, most of these books are
either too specialized with specific readership or too lengthy (often over 500 pages).
This book fills in the gap with a compact and concise approach by focusing on the key
concepts, algorithms, and techniques at an introductory level. The main approach of
this book is informal, theorem-free, and practical. By using an informal approach all
fundamental topics required for data mining and machine learning are covered, and
the readers can gain such basic knowledge of all important algorithms with a focus
on their key ideas, without worrying about any tedious, rigorous mathematical proofs.
In addition, the practical approach provides about 30 worked examples in this book
so that the readers can see how each step of the algorithms and techniques works.
Thus, the readers can build their understanding and confidence gradually and in a
step-by-step manner. Furthermore, with the minimal requirements of basic high school
mathematics and some basic calculus, such an informal and practical style can also
enable the readers to learn the contents by self-study and at their own pace.
This book is suitable for undergraduates and graduates to rapidly develop all the
fundamental knowledge of data mining, machine learning, and optimization. It can
xii Preface

also be used by students and researchers as a reference to review and refresh their
knowledge in data mining, machine learning, optimization, computer science, and data
science.

Xin-She Yang
January 2019 in London
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all my students and colleagues who have given valuable feedback
and comments on some of the contents and examples of this book. I also would like to
thank my editors, J. Scott Bentley and Michael Lutz, and the staff at Elsevier for their
professionalism. Last but not least, I thank my family for all the help and support.

Xin-She Yang
January 2019
Introduction to optimization
Contents
1.1 Algorithms
1 1
1.1.1 Essence of an algorithm 1
1.1.2 Issues with algorithms 3
1.1.3 Types of algorithms 3
1.2 Optimization 4
1.2.1 A simple example 4
1.2.2 General formulation of optimization 7
1.2.3 Feasible solution 9
1.2.4 Optimality criteria 10
1.3 Unconstrained optimization 10
1.3.1 Univariate functions 11
1.3.2 Multivariate functions 12
1.4 Nonlinear constrained optimization 14
1.4.1 Penalty method 15
1.4.2 Lagrange multipliers 16
1.4.3 Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions 17
1.5 Notes on software 18

This book introduces the most fundamentals and algorithms related to optimization,
data mining, and machine learning. The main requirement is some understanding of
high-school mathematics and basic calculus; however, we will review and introduce
some of the mathematical foundations in the first two chapters.

1.1 Algorithms
An algorithm is an iterative, step-by-step procedure for computation. The detailed
procedure can be a simple description, an equation, or a series of descriptions in
combination with equations. Finding the roots of a polynomial, checking if a natu-
ral number is a prime number, and generating random numbers are all algorithms.

1.1.1 Essence of an algorithm

In essence, an algorithm can be written as an iterative equation or a set of iterative
equations. For example, to find a square root of a > 0, we can use the following
iterative equation:
1 a
xk+1 = xk + , (1.1)
2 xk
where k is the iteration counter (k = 0, 1, 2, . . . ) starting with a random guess x0 = 1.
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2 Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning

Example 1
As an example, if x0 = 1 and a = 4, then we have

1 4
x1 = (1 + ) = 2.5. (1.2)
2 1

Similarly, we have

1 4 1 4
x2 = (2.5 + ) = 2.05, x3 = (2.05 + ) ≈ 2.0061, (1.3)
2 2.5 2 2.05
x4 ≈ 2.00000927, (1.4)
√
which is very close to the true value of 4 = 2. The accuracy of this iterative formula or algorithm
is high because it achieves the accuracy of five decimal places after four iterations.

The convergence is very quick if we start from different initial values such as
x0 = 10 and even x0 = 100. However, for an obvious reason, we cannot start with
x0 = 0 due to division by
√zero.
Find the root of x = a is equivalent to solving the equation

f (x) = x 2 − a = 0, (1.5)

which is again equivalent to finding the roots of a polynomial f (x). We know that
Newton’s root-finding algorithm can be written as

f (xk )
xk+1 = xk − , (1.6)
f  (xk )

where f  (x) is the first derivative or gradient of f (x). In this case, we have
f  (x) = 2x. Thus, Newton’s formula becomes

(xk2 − a)
xk+1 = xk − , (1.7)
2xk

which can be written as

xk a 1 a
xk+1 = (xk − )+ = xk + ). (1.8)
2 2xk 2 xk

This is exactly what we have in Eq. (1.1).

Newton’s method has rigorous mathematical foundations, which has a guaranteed
convergence under certain conditions. However, in general, Eq. (1.6) is more general,
and the gradient information f  (x) is needed. In addition, for the formula to be valid,
we must have f  (x) = 0.
Introduction to optimization 3

1.1.2 Issues with algorithms

The advantage of the algorithm given in Eq. (1.1) is that√it converges very quickly.
However, careful readers may have asked: we know that 4 = ±2, how can we find
the other root −2 in addition to +2?
Even if we use different initial value x0 = 10 or x0 = 0.5, we can only reach x∗ = 2,
not −2.
What happens if we start with x0 < 0? From x0 = −1, we have
1 4 1 4
x1 = (−1 + ) = −2.5, x 2 = (−2.5 + ) = −2.05, (1.9)
2 −1 2 −2.5
x3 ≈ −2.0061, x4 ≈ −2.00000927, (1.10)
which is approaching −2 very quickly. If we start from x0 = −10 or x0 = −0.5, then
we can always get x∗ = −2, not +2.
This highlights a key issue here: the final solution seems to depend on the initial
starting point for this algorithm, which is true for many algorithms.
Now the relevant question is: how do we know where to start to get a particular
solution? The general short answer is “we do not know”. Thus, some knowledge of
the problem under consideration or an educated guess may be useful to find the final
solution.
In fact, most algorithms may depend on the initial configuration, and such algo-
rithms are often carrying out search moves locally. Thus, this type of algorithm is
often referred to as local search. A good algorithm should be able to “forget” its initial
configuration though such algorithms may not exist at all for most types of problems.
What we need in general is the global search, which attempts to find final solutions
that are less sensitive to the initial starting point(s).
Another important issue in our discussions is that the gradient information f  (x) is
necessary for some algorithms such as Newton’s method given in Eq. (1.6). This poses
certain requirements on the smoothness of the function f (x). For example, we know
that |x| is not differentiable at x = 0. Thus, we cannot directly use Newton’s method
to find the roots of f (x) = |x|x 2 − a = 0 for a > 0. Some modifications are needed.
There are other issues related to algorithms such as the setting of parameters, the
slow rate of convergence, condition numbers, and iteration structures. All these make
algorithm designs and usage somehow challenging, and we will discuss these issues
in more detail later in this book.

1.1.3 Types of algorithms

An algorithm can only do a specific computation task (at most a class of computational
tasks), and no algorithms can do all the tasks. Thus, algorithms can be classified due
to their purposes. An algorithm to find roots of a polynomial belongs to root-finding
algorithms, whereas an algorithm for ranking a set of numbers belongs to sorting
algorithms. There are many classes of algorithms for different purposes. Even for the
same purpose such as sorting, there are many different algorithms such as the merge
sort, bubble sort, quicksort, and others.
4 Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning

We can also categorize algorithms in terms of their characteristics. The root-finding

algorithms we just introduced are deterministic algorithms because the final solutions
are exactly the same if we start from the same initial guess. We obtain the same set of
solutions every time we run the algorithm. On the other hand, we may introduce some
randomization into the algorithm, for example, using purely random initial points.
Every time we run the algorithm, we use a new random initial guess. In this case, the
algorithm can have some nondeterministic nature, and such algorithms are referred
to as stochastic.√Sometimes, using randomness may be advantageous. For example, in
the example of 4 = ±2 using Eq. (1.1), random initial values (both positive and neg-
ative) can allow the algorithm to find both roots. In fact, a major trend in the modern
metaheuristics is using some randomization to suit different purposes.
For algorithms to be introduced in this book, we are mainly concerned with al-
gorithms for data mining, optimization, and machine learning. We use a relatively
unified approach to link algorithms in data mining and machine learning to algorithms
for optimization.

1.2 Optimization

Optimization is everywhere, from engineering design to business planning. After all,

time and resources are limited, and optimal use of such valuable resources is crucial.
In addition, designs of products have to maximize the performance, sustainability, and
energy efficiency and to minimize the costs. Therefore, optimization is important for
many applications.

1.2.1 A simple example

Let us start with a very simple example to design a container with volume capacity
V0 = 10 m3 . As the main cost is related to the cost of materials, the main aim is to
minimize the total surface area S.
The first thing we have to decide is the shape of the container (cylinder, cubic,
sphere or ellipsoid, or more complex geometry). For simplicity, let us start with a
cylindrical shape with radius r and height h (see Fig. 1.1).
The total surface area of a cylinder is

S = 2(πr 2 ) + 2πrh, (1.11)

and the volume is

V = πr 2 h. (1.12)

There are only two design variables r and h and one objective function S to be min-
imized. Obviously, if there is no capacity constraint, then we can choose not to build
the container, and then the cost of materials is zero for r = 0 and h = 0. However,
Introduction to optimization 5

Figure 1.1 Design of a cylindric container.

the constraint requirement means that we have to build a container with fixed volume
V0 = πr 2 h = 10 m3 . Therefore, this optimization problem can be written as

minimize S = 2πr 2 + 2πrh, (1.13)

subject to the equality constraint

πr 2 h = V0 = 10. (1.14)

To solve this problem, we can first try to use the equality constraint to reduce the
number of design variables by solving h. So we have
V0
h= . (1.15)
πr 2
Substituting it into (1.13), we get

S = 2πr 2 + 2πrh
V0 2V0
= 2πr 2 + 2πr 2 = 2πr 2 + . (1.16)
πr r
This is a univariate function. From basic calculus we know that the minimum or max-
imum can occur at the stationary point, where the first derivative is zero, that is,
dS 2V0
= 4πr − 2 = 0, (1.17)
dr r
which gives

V0 3 V0
r3 = , or r = . (1.18)
2π 2π
Thus, the height is

h V0 /(πr 2 ) V0
= = 3 = 2. (1.19)
r r πr
6 Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning

This means that the height is twice the radius: h = 2r. Thus, the minimum surface is

S∗ = 2πr 2 + 2πrh = 2πr 2 + 2πr(2r) = 6πr 2

 V 2/3 6π
0 2/3
= 6π =√3
V0 . (1.20)
2π 4π 2

For V0 = 10, we have

 
3 V0 3 10
r= = ≈ 1.1675, h = 2r = 2.335,
(2π) 2π

and the total surface area

S∗ = 2πr 2 + 2πrh ≈ 25.69.

It is worth pointing out that this optimal solution is based on the assumption or re-
quirement to design a cylindrical container. If we decide to use a sphere with radius R,
we know that its volume and surface area is
4π 3
V0 = R , S = 4πR 2 . (1.21)
3
We can solve R directly

3V0 3 3V0
R =
3
, or R = , (1.22)
4π 4π
which gives the surface area
 3V 2/3 √
0 4π 3 9 2/3
S = 4π =√ 3
V0 . (1.23)
4π 16π 2
√3 √ √ 3
Since 6π/ 4π 2 ≈ 5.5358 and 4π 3 9/ 16π 2 ≈ 4.83598, we have S < S∗ , that is, the
surface area of a sphere is smaller than the minimum surface area of a cylinder with
the same volume. In fact, for the same V0 = 10, we have
√
4π 3 9 2/3
S(sphere) = √ 3
V0 ≈ 22.47, (1.24)
16π 2
which is smaller than S∗ = 25.69 for a cylinder.
This highlights the importance of the choice of design type (here in terms of shape)
before we can do any truly useful optimization. Obviously, there are many other fac-
tors that can influence the choice of design, including the manufacturability of the
design, stability of the structure, ease of installation, space availability, and so on. For
a container, in most applications, a cylinder may be much easier to produce than a
sphere, and thus the overall cost may be lower in practice. Though there are so many
factors to be considered in engineering design, for the purpose of optimization, here
we will only focus on the improvement and optimization of a design with well-posed
mathematical formulations.
Introduction to optimization 7

1.2.2 General formulation of optimization

Whatever the real-world applications may be, it is usually possible to formulate an
optimization problem in a generic form [49,53,160]. All optimization problems with
explicit objectives can in general be expressed as a nonlinearly constrained optimiza-
tion problem

maximize/minimize f (x), x = (x1 , x2 , . . . , xD )T ∈ RD ,

subject to φj (x) = 0 (j = 1, 2, . . . , M),
ψk (x) ≤ 0 (k = 1, . . . , N), (1.25)

where f (x), φj (x), and ψk (x) are scalar functions of the design vector x. Here the
components xi of x = (x1 , . . . , xD )T are called design or decision variables, and they
can be either continuous, discrete, or a mixture of these two. The vector x is often
called the decision vector, which varies in a D-dimensional space RD .
It is worth pointing out that we use a column vector here for x (thus with trans-
pose T ). We can also use a row vector x = (x1 , . . . , xD ) and the results will be the
same. Different textbooks may use slightly different formulations. Once we are aware
of such minor variations, it should cause no difficulty or confusion.
In addition, the function f (x) is called the objective function or cost function,
φj (x) are constraints in terms of M equalities, and ψk (x) are constraints written as
N inequalities. So there are M + N constraints in total. The optimization problem
formulated here is a nonlinear constrained problem. Here the inequalities ψk (x) ≤ 0
are written as “less than”, and they can also be written as “greater than” via a simple
transformation by multiplying both sides by −1.
The space spanned by the decision variables is called the search space RD , whereas
the space formed by the values of the objective function is called the objective or
response space, and sometimes the landscape. The optimization problem essentially
maps the domain RD or the space of decision variables into the solution space R (or
the real axis in general).
The objective function f (x) can be either linear or nonlinear. If the constraints φj
and ψk are all linear, it becomes a linearly constrained problem. Furthermore, when
φj , ψk , and the objective function f (x) are all linear, then it becomes a linear pro-
gramming problem [35]. If the objective is at most quadratic with linear constraints,
then it is called a quadratic programming problem. If all the values of the decision
variables can be only integers, then this type of linear programming is called integer
programming or integer linear programming.
On the other hand, if no constraints are specified and thus xi can take any values
in the real axis (or any integers), then the optimization problem is referred to as an
unconstrained optimization problem.
As a very simple example of optimization problems without any constraints, we
discuss the search of the maxima or minima of a univariate function.
8 Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning

2
Figure 1.2 A simple multimodal function f (x) = x 2 e−x .

Example 2
For example, to find the maximum of a univariate function f (x)

f (x) = x 2 e−x ,
2
−∞ < x < ∞, (1.26)

is a simple unconstrained problem, whereas the following problem is a simple constrained mini-
mization problem:

f (x1 , x2 ) = x12 + x1 x2 + x22 , (x1 , x2 ) ∈ R2 , (1.27)

subject to

x1 ≥ 1, x2 − 2 = 0. (1.28)

It is worth pointing out that the objectives are explicitly known in all the optimiza-
tion problems to be discussed in this book. However, in reality, it is often difficult to
quantify what we want to achieve, but we still try to optimize certain things such as the
degree of enjoyment or service quality on holiday. In other cases, it may be impossible
to write the objective function in any explicit form mathematically.
From basic calculus we know that, for a given curve described by f (x), its gradient
f  (x) describes the rate of change. When f  (x) = 0, the curve has a horizontal tangent
at that particular point. This means that it becomes a point of special interest. In fact,
the maximum or minimum of a curve occurs at
f  (x∗ ) = 0, (1.29)

which is a critical condition or stationary condition. The solution x∗ to this equation

corresponds to a stationary point, and there may be multiple stationary points for a
given curve.
To see if it is a maximum or minimum at x = x∗ , we have to use the information of
its second derivative f  (x). In fact, f  (x∗ ) > 0 corresponds to a minimum, whereas
f  (x∗ ) < 0 corresponds to a maximum. Let us see a concrete example.

Example 3
To find the minimum of f (x) = x 2 e−x (see Fig. 1.2), we have the stationary condition
2

f  (x) = 0 or

f  (x) = 2x × e−x + x 2 × (−2x)e−x = 2(x − x 3 )e−x = 0.

2 2 2
Introduction to optimization 9

Figure 1.3 (a) Feasible domain with nonlinear inequality constraints ψ1 (x) and ψ2 (x) (left) and linear
inequality constraint ψ3 (x). (b) An example with an objective of f (x) = x 2 subject to x ≥ 2 (right).

As e−x > 0, we have

2

x(1 − x 2 ) = 0, or x = 0 and x = ±1.

The second derivative is given by

f  (x) = 2e−x (1 − 5x 2 + 2x 4 ),
2

which is an even function with respect to x.

So at x = ±1, f  (±1) = 2[1 − 5(±1)2 + 2(±1)4 ]e−(±1) = −4e−1 < 0. Thus, there are
2

two maxima that occur at x∗ = ±1 with fmax = e−1 . At x = 0, we have f  (0) = 2 > 0, thus
the minimum of f (x) occurs at x∗ = 0 with fmin (0) = 0.

Whatever the objective is, we have to evaluate it many times. In most cases, the
evaluations of the objective functions consume a substantial amount of computational
power (which costs money) and design time. Any efficient algorithm that can reduce
the number of objective evaluations saves both time and money.
In mathematical programming, there are many important concepts, and we will
first introduce a few related concepts: feasible solutions, optimality criteria, the strong
local optimum, and weak local optimum.

1.2.3 Feasible solution

A point x that satisfies all the constraints is called a feasible point and thus is a feasible
solution to the problem. The set of all feasible points is called the feasible region (see
Fig. 1.3).
For example, we know that the domain f (x) = x 2 consists of all real numbers. If
we want to minimize f (x) without any constraint, all solutions such as x = −1, x = 1,
and x = 0 are feasible. In fact, the feasible region is the whole real axis. Obviously,
x = 0 corresponds to f (0) = 0 as the true minimum.
However, if we want to find the minimum of f (x) = x 2 subject to x ≥ 2, then it
becomes a constrained optimization problem. The points such as x = 1 and x = 0 are
no longer feasible because they do not satisfy x ≥ 2. In this case the feasible solutions
are all the points that satisfy x ≥ 2. So x = 2, x = 100, and x = 108 are all feasible. It
is obvious that the minimum occurs at x = 2 with f (2) = 22 = 4, that is, the optimal
solution for this problem occurs at the boundary point x = 2 (see Fig. 1.3).
10 Introduction to Algorithms for Data Mining and Machine Learning

Figure 1.4 Local optima, weak optima, and global optimality.

1.2.4 Optimality criteria

A point x ∗ is called a strong local maximum of the nonlinearly constrained op-
timization problem if f (x) is defined in a δ-neighborhood N (x ∗ , δ) and satisfies
f (x ∗ ) > f (u) for u ∈ N (x ∗ , δ), where δ > 0 and u = x ∗ . If x ∗ is not a strong lo-
cal maximum, then the inclusion of equality in the condition f (x ∗ ) ≥ f (u) for all
u ∈ N (x ∗ , δ) defines the point x ∗ as a weak local maximum (see Fig. 1.4). The local
minima can be defined in a similar manner when > and ≥ are replaced by < and ≤,
respectively.
Fig. 1.4 shows various local maxima and minima. Point A is a strong local max-
imum, whereas point B is a weak local maximum because there are many (in fact,
infinite) different values of x that will lead to the same value of f (x ∗ ). Point D is the
global maximum, and point E is the global minimum. In addition, point F is a strong
local minimum. However, point C is a strong local minimum, but it has a discontinuity
in f  (x ∗ ). So the stationary condition for this point f  (x ∗ ) = 0 is not valid. We will
not deal with these types of minima or maxima in detail.
As we briefly mentioned before, for a smooth curve f (x), optimal solutions usu-
ally occur at stationary points where f  (x) = 0. This is not always the case because
optimal solutions can also occur at the boundary, as we have seen in the previous ex-
ample of minimizing f (x) = x 2 subject to x ≥ 2. In our present discussion, we will
assume that both f (x) and f  (x) are always continuous or f (x) is everywhere twice
continuously differentiable. Obviously, the information of f  (x) is not sufficient to
determine whether a stationary point is a local maximum or minimum. Thus, higher-
order derivatives such as f  (x) are needed, but we do not make any assumption at this
stage. We will further discuss this in detail in the next section.

1.3 Unconstrained optimization

Optimization problems can be classified as either unconstrained or constrained. Un-

constrained optimization problems can in turn be subdivided into univariate and mul-
tivariate problems.
Introduction to optimization 11

1.3.1 Univariate functions

The simplest optimization problem without any constraints is probably the search for
the maxima or minima of a univariate function f (x). For unconstrained optimization
problems, the optimality occurs at the critical points given by the stationary condition
f  (x) = 0.
However, this stationary condition is just a necessary condition, but it is not a suf-
ficient condition. If f  (x∗ ) = 0 and f  (x∗ ) > 0, it is a local minimum. Conversely, if
f  (x∗ ) = 0 and f  (x∗ ) < 0, then it is a local maximum. However, if f  (x∗ ) = 0 and
f  (x∗ ) = 0, care should be taken because f  (x) may be indefinite (both positive and
negative) when x → x∗ , then x∗ corresponds to a saddle point.
For example, for f (x) = x 3 , we have

f  (x) = 3x 2 , f  (x) = 6x. (1.30)

The stationary condition f  (x) = 3x 2 = 0 gives x∗ = 0. However, we also have

f  (x∗ ) = f  (0) = 0.

In fact, f (x) = x 3 has a saddle point x∗ = 0 because f  (0) = 0 but f  changes sign
from f  (0+) > 0 to f  (0−) < 0 as x moves from positive to negative.

Example 4
For example, to find the maximum or minimum of a univariate function

f (x) = 3x 4 − 4x 3 − 12x 2 + 9, −∞ < x < ∞,

we first have to find its stationary points x∗ when the first derivative f  (x) is zero, that is,

f  (x) = 12x 3 − 12x 2 − 24x = 12(x 3 − x 2 − 2x) = 0.

Since f  (x) = 12(x 3 − x 2 − 2x) = 12x(x + 1)(x − 2) = 0, we have

x∗ = −1, x∗ = 2, x∗ = 0.

The second derivative of f (x) is simply

f  (x) = 36x 2 − 24x − 24.

From the basic calculus we know that the maximum requires f  (x∗ ) ≤ 0 whereas the minimum
requires f  (x∗ ) ≥ 0.
At x∗ = −1, we have

f  (−1) = 36(−1)2 − 24(−1) − 24 = 36 > 0,

so this point corresponds to a local minimum

f (−1) = 3(−1)4 − 4(−1)3 − 12(−1)2 + 9 = 4.

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deadly work they had begun, was hourly expected; but they did not
come, and at last it dawned upon the minds of those in authority
that, seeing they were within entrenchments, a smaller number of
soldiers might serve to guard them. It took some time for this idea
to work in the official mind; but, at last, to the intense satisfaction of
the soldiers and regimental officers, five hundred men were told off
to join the English force which was supposed to be marching on
Delhi.
It was on the 23rd that the General encountered the detachment
from his mutinous regiment in the wood; and, early on the 24th, the
force from Meerut was to be in readiness to march. Hence the
ambush. The rebels, whose intelligence department was much better
managed than ours—they had spies everywhere—knowing exactly
what was going to happen, had imagined that, through the General,
whom, they believed, they could easily entrap, they might paralyse
the action of the English, so far, at least, as to delay, for some days,
the march of a detachment from Meerut.
They had, as we have seen, most grossly miscalculated. But,
meanwhile, the firing had been heard at Meerut, and a gallant young
officer, well known to the General, who had been burning to
distinguish himself and to redeem the honour of the English arms,
gained permission to go out and reconnoitre with a party of fifty
horsemen.
It was late in the evening; but the moon was well up, and there was
light enough to guide them to the scene of the little skirmish. It was
over by the time they rode out upon the plain. The General and his
men had taken their own vengeance; but, exhausted as they were,
their chief wounded, their horses dead-beat, and their situation
precarious—since, for all they knew to the contrary, the woods
behind them might be full of rebels—the sight of this little band of
their countrymen coming out to meet them was, beyond expression,
cheering.
'They are not all dead then, thank God!' said the General. 'Two of
you gallop out to meet them, boys, and tell them how it is with us.'
'Can you sit a horse, sir,' said Tommy, 'or shall we send for a litter?'
'Litter! Nonsense! I'm not going to give up the ghost yet,' said the
old soldier, testily. 'But,' to himself, 'I shan't mind being at home. I
believe the scoundrel spoke the truth so far. Poor little monkeys! I
wonder which of them is hurt. Oh, God, if I had only listened to
reason, and left them all at home!'
'Do you want anything, sir?' said one of his men, who saw him
speaking, but could not catch his voice.
'No, thank you,' he answered, 'except to get away from this. Ah!
here they are! Friends this time, not foes! Welcome, Bertie,' to the
young officer, who had sprung from his horse, and was looking down
upon him mournfully. 'Don't look so glum, you young rascal. They
are safe?' sharply.
'Your people escaped, General. One of the young ladies was hurt,
not seriously, I believe. Lady Elton has been in the most terrible
state of anxiety.'
'No doubt! No doubt! Well, I shall hear all about it from themselves
soon. Lift me into a saddle, Bertie. We'd better be moving.'
Kullum Khan, who was sobbing like a child, took the General under
one arm, the young officer under the other, and in a few moments
they had him mounted on the quietest and strongest of the horses,
a trooper getting up behind him, to keep him in his place. Then,
carrying the wounded Indians between them, the cavalcade set off
across the plain.
The mango grove where the skirmish had begun was within three
miles of Meerut; but as, for the sake of the wounded, they were
obliged to move slowly, the transit took some time. Scouts,
meanwhile, were thrown out in every direction, to keep the coasts
clear, and warn them of danger. But there was not even an alarm.
The combatants, as the General said grimly, were on their faces, and
the non-combatants kept out of their way.
They came upon the outskirts of Meerut. The General was moaning
heavily, with pain and anguish. There was nothing now to keep up
his proud heart, and it fell.
He knew all the landmarks, and each one had some memory for
him. There was the little grove where, one glorious evening, he and
his men had picnicked when they came down upon Meerut from the
Sikh war, to enjoy a little rest after the hardships of the campaign.
How splendid they had looked, and how handy and helpful they
were, living on next to nothing, and going through fatigue and
privation that would have floored half a European regiment!
And now they were close on the cantonments. He had built several
of the bungalows here and laid out their gardens—the mess-house
for the officers of his regiment, the colonel's house, the spacious and
beautiful bungalow, finished while he was in England, to which only
a few weeks before he had brought his wife and children. This last
was outside cantonments and nearer to the native lines than any
other English house.
He remembered now, pacing slowly and sadly over the blackened
ground, with the charred ruins of what had so lately been a happy
home staring him in the face, how one or two had warned him that,
in case of a rising, the situation would be dangerous, and how
proudly he had smiled at the absurdity of the notion. 'While my
family and I are in the station,' he said, 'a rising would be
impossible, and I don't ask anyone else to occupy the house.' And
now it was literally gutted.
As they were crossing what had been the garden of the General's
bungalow, an old man came out from the ruins and confronted
them. The young officer who, with drawn sword, was leading the
cavalcade, would have swept him aside, but he cried out so
piteously to be heard that the General, who was some yards behind,
ordered that he should be brought to him.
'I think I know your voice,' he said.
'The Sahib should know,' replied the man, weeping bitterly; 'for I
have served him these twenty years.'
'You are Yaseen Khan, my bearer.'
'I am Yaseen Khan, Sahib General, and my son Kullum——'
'I am here, Yaseen,' said the Sepoy from behind. 'I could not go on,
and I slew Koolraj Sing, who tried to deceive me.'
'The gods be praised!' murmured the old man. 'Sahib, by the God
you worship, I beseech you to take me on with you!'
'Why are you here, Yaseen Khan?' said the General.
'Have patience, Excellency, and I will tell you everything. They
surrounded this house and set it on fire in three places. Then I ran
to the lines and called my son, Kullum, who, with Soubahdar Sufder
Jung and others, came up, and the budmashes fled. Trixy Sahib was
hurt; I know not how. They carried her in their arms—my son Kullum
and the Soubahdar—as if she had been their own child. The others
walked, for no carriage was to be found; but the men guarded them
carefully, and not a hair of their heads was touched. I thought of the
General Sahib's gold, and I went back to get it. I could not carry it
away; but I buried it in a secret place. Then the budmashes came
round the house again, yelling like evil spirits. They found me, and
said they would kill me if I did not find them gold. I said I would find
it, and, in going, I escaped. I was close to them, Sahib, and I heard
their cries. They would have torn me to pieces if they had found me;
but there was an alarm. Some one said, "The Sahibs are coming!"
and they ran out, and I saw and heard them no more. But I dared
not move; I kept in hiding, waiting for your Honour's return, and
living on the food I could pick up. For two days I have not eaten.
Have pity on me, Sahib, and take me on!'
'Mount him on one of the horses, and bring him on behind me,' said
the General. 'I believe that what he tells me is the truth.'
A few moments later they came upon the vedettes, and then, the
young officer having answered the challenge, they entered the town.
Here the General insisted upon dismounting.
'I can't present myself to my wife and children in this guise,' he said.
'Dismiss your men to their quarters, Bertie, and let them find
quarters for my men, and for the natives who were faithful. You give
me your arm and we will find Lady Elton.'
The officer gave the necessary directions, adding, on his own
account, that the surgeon of his regiment should be sent to the
General's quarters, and they set off together, the General leaning
heavily on the arm of his guide, and Yaseen Khan, the bearer,
following them.
Lady Elton and her children were under canvas. They had preferred
this arrangement to accepting shelter from any of the houses thrown
open to them, and the Soubahdar and his men having succeeded in
saving many of their things, they had been able already to give their
new quarters a tolerably home-like appearance. It was only in this
way—in exerting themselves to set things straight 'for father,' who,
they felt sure, must come in soon—that the girls could keep their
mother cheerful, or that any of them could chase away the terrible
despondency and shuddering fear which would, at times, take
possession of them. For upon these unfortunate ladies, bred up in
the traditions of the old Anglo-Indian, who looked upon a native as a
cross between a machine and an animal—a creature to be treated
with kindly contempt when he behaved himself, and to be promptly
licked into shape when he did not—the mutiny fell like a bolt of fire
out of a clear sky. They had heard rumours of discontent, but
nothing came of them. They were disposed to think that the
repressive measures had not been sufficiently severe, and when on
May 9 the mutineers of the 3rd Native Cavalry, who had been
condemned by their own countrymen, and sentenced to ten years'
imprisonment, were stripped of their uniform and put in irons, while
sorry for the unhappy men who had been so miserably deluded, they
believed that this one severe example would be sufficient, and that
no more would be heard of mutiny. Lady Elton was fond of quoting
her husband in those days. 'The General says all they want is
firmness. They are the best fellows in the world when you take them
the right way. He ought to know, for he has had so much
experience.' And then Maud would repeat her saucy little phrase
about the riding-whip, and the ladies, who had come to consult
them, would go away reassured. 'You may depend upon it,' they
would say, 'General Elton and his wife know more about these
people than we do.'
To be awakened from this dream of security by the rattle of
musketry from the lines; and, after a few minutes of terror-stricken
silence, the tramp of armed men upon the plain, and the shock of
contending forces, was terrible beyond description. How, stirred up
by Yaseen Khan, who ran in hot haste for his son, they barricaded
themselves into the innermost room of the bungalow, piling furniture
against the doors to keep out the mutineers; how, sitting huddled
together, clasped in one another's arms, they heard the defiant
shouts and yells of rage come nearer and nearer; how Trixy, the first
to recover presence of mind, climbed up to a peep-hole under the
roof, and came back with the awful intelligence that the stables and
kitchens were in flames; how they heard the wretches, who were
mad with bhang and fanaticism, getting on to the roof; then the yell,
when the thatch was torn aside, and one of the fierce creatures
looked down on them; the screams of the girls, and brave little
Trixy's pistol-shot, followed by a shriek from the first scoundrel, and
a shot from the man behind him, which brought the poor girl to the
ground,—all this lives still in these poor women's remembrance as a
dream of horror!
They were rescued as we have seen. Those surrounding the
General's house were budmashes from the bazaars and the criminals
who had rushed out when the gaol doors were opened, and at the
approach of the disciplined force under Soubahdar Sufder Jung
every one of them took to their heels. The ladies, half dead with
fright, and some of their choicest possessions, were escorted safely
to the English barracks, where they lodged that night. Then began
that weary waiting-time, which to poor Lady Elton was even worse
than the scene of horror through which they had passed. Her
husband was away. She had not heard from him for some days, and
did not know where he was. Her beloved eldest daughter Grace and
her niece, only lately married, were in the heart of a district said to
be unsettled before, and which now, when this terrible news from
Meerut went abroad, would be almost certain to rise. She had
friends at Cawnpore, friends at Delhi, friends at Jhansi. None of
them all were so well guarded as they of Meerut. If massacre and
destruction could run riot here, what would it be there?
Day by day she looked for her husband's arrival. She never feared
for his personal safety. She had still the firmest belief in his power
over the native soldiery; but if he came something might be done.
For this made one element in the misery of the old soldier's wife and
daughters. Nothing was being done. 'If I were in command here,'
Trixy would say, clenching her little fists, 'not one of those brutes
should have reached Delhi. Bertie Liston says the men were burning
to be off. He could scarcely keep them quiet. I think I should have
let them go—gone with them.'
'Trixy is a great warrior since she fired that pistol,' said Maud; 'but,
seriously, mother, don't you think something ought to be done?'
'My dear children, be patient! We are women. We know nothing.
Soldiers must obey orders,' said Lady Elton sadly. 'If your father
would only come!'
'He will come soon, mother darling, don't be afraid,' said gentle little
Lucy.
Some such conversation as this had taken place on the afternoon of
the day when firing was heard outside the walls. The five women
heard it distinctly as they sat over their tea in the tent. Then Bertie
Liston came rushing in with a radiant face. 'Good-bye,' he said, 'I am
sent out to reconnoitre. What will you give me if I bring you back
the General?'
'Anything, everything—all we have,' cried Trixy impulsively. She was
lying on a charpoy, for she had not yet recovered from her wound.
Bertie looked at her, and her pale face flushed; but there was time
for no more words. He went out: she heard his horse's hoofs
clattering over the paving-stones in the compound of the barracks,
and covering her face with her hands she burst into tears.

An hour or more passed by. The firing outside had ceased. Nothing
could be heard but the pacing of the sentinels and the chowkedars
crying out one to the other. Darkness had fallen; but the little
company in the tent did not stir. Then Maud, crying out that she
could stand it no longer, lighted a lamp; Trixy, who was very much
ashamed of her little outburst, asked for a book, and Lady Elton fell
back upon her never-failing resource—the silk stockings she was
knitting for the General. 'Do you think, dears,' she said to the two
youngest girls, Lucy and Mildred, 'that you could sing one of your
duets? If father did come home to-night, it would please him to hear
your voices.' They said they would try, and in a few moments their
sweet clear young voices rose above the stillness. It was one of the
sentimental ditties that we used to admire in those days, neither the
words of the song nor the music to which it was set of a particularly
high order; but as, supported by his young friend, the old General
approached the lighted tent, and heard in his girls' sweet voices of
wild waves whispering and red roses fading away, his heart thrilled
with a rapture such as no artistic music could have given. 'Bless
them,' he said, in a low and heartfelt voice. 'All right, isn't it, Bertie?
They couldn't sing like that if the shock had been too much for
them. There! what an old donkey I am! I knew the children had the
pluck of—Come on, Bertie. They are stopping. They hear us. Back,
Yaseen Khan, you old fool! I don't want you to announce me.'
And now the curtain before the tent is thrown aside, and he sees
them—his sweet wife and the children, who are dearer to him than
his life, and his stern eyes fill with tears, and the voice of thunder,
which only a few moments before had roared out defiance to a
hundred foes, is as weak as that of a little child. 'Well, here I am!
How are you all?' he says, feebly.
He is in the gloom; they are in the light. They have not seen, but
they have heard. In a moment they spring up, all but poor Trixy,
who is crying quietly, and there are cries of 'Wilfrid! Thank God!
Father! Father!' And a little voice from the corner is heard to say,
'Bertie has brought him. Don't let Bertie go away!'
All at once there is a lull. They have drawn him under the light, and
they see that his face is pale and drawn, and one of them discovers
that his arm is roughly bandaged. 'Father has been wounded.
Children, don't press round him so,' cries Lady Elton. 'Will some one
run for a doctor?'
'The Doctor Sahib is here,' says a voice outside; a quiet voice, which
contrasts strangely with the agitated tones of those within the tent.
In the next instant Yaseen Khan, the bearer, clad in snow-white tunic
and dhootie, and having on his head a voluminous turban—how he
had set himself in order no one ever knew—steps forward, and
having, with his usual dignity, saluted those in the tent, ushers in the
doctor.
Then from that irrepressible little person in the corner there comes a
peal of laughter. 'Bravo, Yaseen Khan!' she cries. 'You are decidedly
master of the situation. Have you been hiding yourself in a band-box
all this time, you most unconscionable old man?'
Yaseen Khan merely salaams and smiles. He is busy attending to his
master, and has no time for banter.

CHAPTER XXII

THE RAJAH SURPRISED

It was on that very night, the night of the 23rd of May, that
Hoosanee returned to Gumilcund, after his unsuccessful effort to
save Grace Elton and her cousin. He reported himself to his master
at once, and gave an account of what he had done. It was his
opinion that the rising at Nowgong would be speedy and cruel. Many
of the Sahibs, he said, were disliked by the people and soldiers, and
would not be spared. He did not venture to repeat his conversation
with the chuprassie; but he said that he believed there was one
servant in the Captain Sahib's service who might be trusted. 'The
lotus-eyed,' he averred, must be saved at all hazards, and he
offered, should his master desire it, to go to the station again, and
to linger about in disguise, watching over her, until the danger was
over, or the rising had come. In case of a rising, he would provide
for some temporary refuge in the neighbourhood, whence, if they
could not escape in any other way, his master would fetch them at
the point of the sword.
Tom agreed to the proposal, suggesting only that he should go in
place of Hoosanee; or, if that were impossible, that they should go
together. But both his servant and Chunder Singh, who was present,
pointed out to him so clearly that his presence, instead of helping,
might spoil everything, that he was obliged to give way. Hoosanee
should have the honour and joy of watching over the sweetest
woman on all the earth; Chunder Singh should hold himself in
readiness to obey the first summons to arms, and Tom had spies
posted in the different villages on the route between Nowgong and
Gumilcund, so that Hoosanee's messages might be passed on from
one to another, and that help could reach him speedily.
He was himself meditating a dangerous enterprise, nothing less than
marching into Jhansi alone, presenting himself before the Ranee,
and persuading her, under promise of his personal support, and his
influence with the Government in case of her failure—for he had
now certain knowledge that she intended soon to raise the standard
of revolt—to allow him to carry off to Gumilcund the English women
and children in the station.
But many things had to be done before he could start. June was
nearly in when, riding Snow-queen, and dressed as an Indian of
rank, he left Gumilcund. In despite of all Chunder Singh urged to the
contrary, he was unattended, it being his belief that the Ranee would
be more likely to listen to him if he entered her palace alone.
The hot season being well in, he travelled principally at night, resting
by day in a grove or peasant's hut. He was treated with
consideration everywhere. Now and then a greybeard would reprove
him for travelling so heedlessly in these unsettled times, and once or
twice he was asked his business. To this he would answer that he
was a kinsman of the Ranee of Jhansi, and that she had sent for
him; but that what her will was he knew not. Everything, in fact,
went well, so that, but for the adventure I am about to relate, he
would have been in Jhansi before the rising; and it is just possible
that, by his influence, the memory of a proud and not ungenerous
woman would have been saved from a foul blot, and many innocent
people delivered from destruction.
He came to within a few miles of the borders of Jhansi. For the last
two days he had been pressing his pace, for sinister rumours were
abroad, and he feared to be too late. But there had been terrible
rain, and the ways were miry, and Snow-queen was hanging her
head dejectedly. For her sake rather than his own he determined to
rest for a few hours. There was a village close by. He rode in slowly,
and asked for the house of the headman, where, after a little parley,
he was allowed to rest, while he watched his horse being fed and
watered.
He was on the little mud platform in front of the house. Snow-queen
was tethered close by. It was mid-day and the place was silent as
the grave, so that presently, in spite of strenuous efforts to hold his
eyes open, he fell into a dog's sleep. How long it lasted he could not
tell. He was aroused by the trampling of feet and clamour of many
voices. He sprang up, and, almost at the same moment, the
headman came to him, with a strange look in his eyes.
'You must go on,' he said, 'the Ranee is here.'
'Ranee—what ranee—of Jhansi?' he asked.
'I know not,' the man answered; 'but we want this place.'
'And you shall have it. I am ready to go on,' answered Tom. 'First let
me pay you for your trouble.'
The man took the money hurriedly, and Tom turned aside to where
he had left Snow-queen, and vaulted into the saddle. He had
scarcely done so before the foremost of the troop of horsemen that
were clattering through the village came up with him and seized his
bridle-rein.
'What do you want with me?' said Tom, trying to free himself.
In a trice two or three more rode up, and he found himself
surrounded.
'Now, then,' he cried out, angrily. 'What is the meaning of this?'
'Our lady, the Ranee, would have speech with you, sir stranger,' said
the first of the troop.
'Where is she; and what does she mean by stopping a peaceful
traveller?'
'You are alone. She has armed men at her back,' said the horseman
cynically. 'But she means you no hurt. You had better come quietly.'
'Loose my bridle-rein, then,' cried the young rajah. 'And you,' to the
two or three ragged-looking figures that were crowding about him,
'fall back!'
They obeyed and he went forward slowly, with all the dignity he
could command. Had he seen any chance of escape, he would have
given a touch to Snow-queen, and in a few moments she would
have shown them a clean pair of heels. But he was not in open
ground; he was in the long straggling street of the village, with
horsemen in front of him and horsemen behind, and there was no
possibility of getting away. Wit, he felt, must serve him for strength,
and if, as these men had said, their leader was really a woman, he
did not doubt that he would be able so far to humour her as to be
allowed to proceed.
Presently he lifted up his eyes and saw her. She was in the midst of
the cavalcade, borne in an open palanquin, and covered from head
to foot in a saree of black gauze richly spangled with gold.
As he approached, the men-at-arms who accompanied her
separating to right and left to let him pass, she ordered her bearers
to stop. Tom drew up in front of her and made a low salute. He
could not discern the features of the lady's face; but he saw enough
to make him sure that she was not the Ranee of Jhansi. A few
seconds passed. He would not speak until she addressed him; he sat
with head bowed humbly, after the Oriental fashion, while the
piercing eyes behind the black and gold saree looked him through
and through.
Then came a curious and unexpected shock. She was speaking. He
thought, at least, that she was speaking; but he could not be quite
sure that his senses had not deceived him. For this high, clear voice,
winged, to his fancy, with mockery, was not, certainly, the voice of
one of the daughters of the land. Yet the language was the supple
Urdu that the educated natives use.
'Who are you, sir stranger? And what brings you to our dominions?'
she said.
He gave an involuntary start, then answered, bowing low, 'Were it
not that the whole world is under the dominion of beauty, I might
ask my gracious lady her right to stop the traveller on his journey. As
it is, I bow to her will. I am a kinsman of the Ranee of Jhansi, and I
go in hot haste to confer with her on the strange portents of the
time.'
From behind the saree came a sound like the repressed gurgle of
laughter; but it was stopped instantly, and the high, disdainful voice
went on. 'I believe that you are lying, sir stranger; but the truth of
your saying shall be proved. We, too, propose to visit our sister of
Jhansi. Remain you with our escort, and we will take you in with us.
If you are really what you profess to be, the delay will be of no
account to you, and you may save your skin.'
'My skin is not of so much account to me that, for its sake, I should
neglect my duty. The business on which I have come is urgent, and I
cannot delay. Will your Highness permit me to take my leave?'
There was another suppressed gurgle. He could have sworn,
moreover, that from under the black and gold gauze there came a
little English 'No'; but in the next moment he thought that his fancy
must have been playing tricks with him, for the veiled lady was
speaking in stern, slow accents.
'I will not permit you to leave us. Fall back, and take your place
amongst my men.'
'Your Highness——'
'Silence! I have listened to you long enough. Abdul, seize his bridle-
rein. If he resists, dismount him, and bring him on foot.'
Seeing that there was, for the moment, no possibility of successful
resistance, Tom fell back amongst the escort, who, so long as he
walked on with them quietly, did not seem disposed to show him any
violence.
The headman of the village came out, meanwhile, to meet them,
bringing provisions, and laying himself and all he possessed at the
feet of the Ranee. She accepted his homage, but did not deign to
speak to him, and, after halting for a few moments, she ordered her
bearers and escort to proceed.
Tom had been longing to leave the village, for he thought that, on
the open ground, he might easily escape; but he found himself so
closely watched, that no such effort was practicable. Reluctantly he
made up his mind to wait until the night.
He had gone over this ground before, making himself well
acquainted with the bearings of the country, and when, soon after
leaving the village, the leaders of the cavalcade swung round to the
left, he knew perfectly well that they were going away from Jhansi,
and not towards it. This he said to Abdul, but he was vouchsafed no
answer. Tired and irritated, wondering what was to be the end of
this strange adventure, and blaming himself bitterly for having
halted when he was almost within a stone's throw of his goal, he
went on the way he was led.
It was afternoon when the veiled lady met him, and they tramped
on until nightfall.
By this time, so far as Tom, who had begun to lose his bearings,
could judge, they were many miles distant from Jhansi. They
encamped in open ground, there being no village or grove of trees
at hand. A tent was pitched for the lady, who had been travelling for
some time with the curtains of her palanquin closed. Tom, who felt
that she was dealing treacherously with him, and who was haunted,
moreover, by a bewildering suspicion that she was something very
different from what she gave herself out to be, made an effort,
when the cavalcade halted, to spring forward from his place in the
rear, that he might speak to her, or at least catch a glimpse of her
figure; but the fierce and burly Abdul placed himself in front of him.
The vigilance of this man had never for one moment faltered, and it
was evident to Tom that he was keeping up the other men to their
duty of watchfulness.
Thinking it well to appear submissive, he dismounted with the rest of
the horsemen, tethered and fed Snow-queen, and joined one of the
groups that were assembled round the little fires that had been
lighted to cook the men's evening meal. A place was made for him,
and he was given a supper of chupatties and dal, which, as he was
simulating the manners of a person of high rank, he received in his
own bowl, retiring a few yards distant from his attendants to eat it.
Then he returned to the spot where he had left Snow-queen,
wrapped himself up in his chuddah, and, with his back propped
against the tree to which she was tethered, fell into a deep sleep.
Tom was one of those favoured mortals who have the gift of sleep.
No matter how anxious and harassed he might have been in the
daytime, night always brought him peace and refreshment.
Afterwards he thought of it as a strange thing. Here he was alone in
the midst of strangers. What they wanted with him he did not know;
but he knew full well that he had upon his person what, if they
discovered it, would tempt their cupidity past any reasonable limit of
endurance; he knew also that he had a great stake to fight for, and a
hard problem to solve, and yet he slept—slept as peacefully as if he
had been in his own little room in the cottage that looked down
upon the silver Thames.
Two hours passed away. His attendants had looked at him several
times, and, at last, being satisfied of his perfect unconsciousness,
they had followed his example, and now no one but Abdul was
awake.
Abdul had received his orders. He was to watch over the prisoner,
but not to molest him in any way; he knew very well that, if he were
detected in any attempt at outrage or robbery, he would pay the
forfeit of his life for the crime; but the stillness of the moment and
the perfect unconsciousness of the sleeping man were too much for
his prudence. He would not hurt him. That would be to betray
himself; but he would cautiously feel about him to see if he had
valuables concealed in his sash or turban. If he had not, no harm
was done. If he had, and if Abdul purloined them, then Abdul would
be so much the richer, and the high-born youth, who would not
venture, surrounded as he was by hostile strangers, to make any
ado about his loss, would be the poorer. And that would be all.
Thinking thus he crept closer to Tom, and, having softly drawn his
chuddah aside began to finger his fine satin tunic. Once or twice the
sleeping youth stirred, and then the robber drew back, but
supposing himself in a dream, he settled down again, and Abdul
went on with his work. The heart of the robber was jubilant and his
fingers were light, for he was sure now that there was gold in the
youth's waistband, gold which would soon be transferred to his own.
The gold was almost within his grasp, he heard its jingle, his long
fingers swept it, as they moved to and fro. Why then did he stop
suddenly and draw back? Had he seen the youth's breast and
shoulders white in the moonlight, and did he recognise him as one
of the hated race, whom, in a few short weeks, the children of the
Prophet would scatter and slay? But this should have given him
courage, for he knew very well that he had but to say that a
Feringhee spy had entered the camp, and the youth whom he
purposed to rob would have his lips sealed effectually. Surely it was
something more that stayed Abdul's hand. And, in that moment's
pause, his prey escaped him. Strong, and with all his wits about him,
Tom awoke; seeing his chuddah and tunic open, and Abdul glaring
at him, like a startled wild animal, he sprang to his feet and struck
out with the dagger which he carried in his belt.
At the same moment the robber was smitten from behind. As, with a
muttered cry, he fell to the ground, a voice broke upon the stillness
of the camp: 'So the White Ranee punishes treachery. Let all take
notice and beware!'

CHAPTER XXIII

THE SNAKE-CHARMER AND THE VEILED LADY

As for Tom, he laid himself down again, not to sleep this time, but to
watch. There was, however, no further alarm, nor, when, long before
dawn, the camp began to stir and the morning fires were lighted,
was any remark made with regard to the incident of the night. A
narrow trench was dug; the robber was laid in it, and, once more,
the cavalcade moved forward. Throughout that day they went on
steadily. The prisoner was continually on the alert, but he was given
no chance either of escaping or of speaking to the veiled lady in the
litter. His passionate irritation over the delay grew, meanwhile, to
such a height, that he was on the point once or twice of making
some mad effort that would have had the effect of either seriously
jeopardising his life or putting fetters on his limbs. That he
restrained himself was due not so much to prudence as to fatality.
He could never find a moment when his will-power and his
surroundings leapt together. When he might have acted he could
not. When all his nerves were braced and the blood coursed like fire
about his heart, something would always happen to make action
impossible. So, with throbbing brain and a heart as heavy as lead,
he travelled on. Every hour was taking them further away from
Jhansi, and nearer Gumilcund, although they were not shaping their
course directly for the last-named city. The men were reticent before
him, but he gathered from a stray word here and there that they
were themselves uncertain about their movements, which would
depend upon the result of an enterprise undertaken by some of their
comrades.
Towards mid-day they halted, and a man, who appeared to be a
moulvie, or priest, joined them, was admitted to the tent, and held a
conference with the lady, travelling on with the cavalcade as far as
the next village, where he took his leave. What news he brought
Tom did not hear, but he judged from the jubilant faces of the men,
and the laughter and rude jests, some of which made his blood
curdle, that there had been another triumph over the Europeans,
and that these men were expecting to share in its results.
Evening came and they halted again. It was in the neighbourhood of
a large village, to the right of which stretched a mere or shallow
pond, half covered with red pond-weed and overshadowed with
some fine acacia and fig trees. By order of the lady in the litter, her
tent, which always formed the centre of the camp, was pitched on
the shores of the mere, being separated from the village by its
waters.
Immediately the men unsaddled, tethered and fed their horses, and
lighted their evening fires. The villagers, meanwhile, who were
hiding behind every tree and angle of wall, having satisfied
themselves that those in camp had no hostile intentions, poled
themselves over the mere in flat-bottomed boats, bringing with them
fruit and vegetables, and grain and milk, so that presently the camp
was like a fair.
Sitting by the mere, and listening absently to the jabber and turmoil
of the camp, where buying and selling and wrangling and gossiping
were going briskly forward, Tom watched the curious scene. He was
trying to devise some scheme either of escape or of making his
situation known to Chunder Singh, when, suddenly, and in obedience
to no act of volition of his own, so at least it seemed to himself, the
current of his thought changed. It darted upon him with the force of
an electric current that the scene upon which he was gazing was not
new. The livid sky behind the mud walls of the village, the blood-red
pavement at his feet, the fierce dark faces about him, surely, in
some other life, he had seen them before. A moment more, and he
remembered. He was living again over the strange night when all
the conditions of his life were changed; his feet trod the banks of
the stream that washed the gardens of his tranquil home; the dawn,
the sweet dawn of an English June, was breaking, and the trees that
he knew and loved were swaying to and fro over his head to the
delicious breeze of the morning. Then he had seen this! It was his
dream, his very dream; but not all!
The effect upon his mind was overpowering. His strength, and the
presence of mind, upon which he had always relied, seemed to be
oozing away. Fate! Fate! and no hand of man was fighting against
him! What could he do but submit? Shuddering, he covered his face
with his hands. He must hide it away. He must forget. He must clear
his mind from the stupefaction that was stealing over it, or all would
be lost. But it was in vain, for, with his every effort, he seemed only
to sink more deeply into despondency and bewilderment.
Suddenly a sound came to him. It was as vivid to his sense as is the
light of morning to the belated traveller—a voice clear and strong.
'Why,' it said, 'should this thing startle you? If a vision was granted
to you, if you saw, beforehand, what would be in the future, and if
now the vision is followed by what is, or appears to be, a reality, is
that any reason why your strength and presence of mind should
desert you?' A pause, and then, answering the thought of his heart,
the voice went on, 'Fate! That is true. Everything is fate. But our
resistances are predicted and foreseen as well as our trials. Arise
and be of good cheer. This is no omen of evil, but rather of good.
You say that the vision is not over. Again you are right. There is
more to come, and in due time and place you will behold it; but tie
not your limbs from present use in consideration of that which they
may have to do in the future. In coming hither you have chosen
rightly. She, like you, must "dree her dread"; but the Holy Ones love
her, and will have her in Their keeping. Listen!'
At this moment—it seemed a strange and incongruous thing—there
broke in upon the eager spiritual colloquy a sound so ridiculously
common and familiar that, uneasy as he was, Tom could almost
have laughed. It was the discordant rattle with which, in India, a
snake-charmer and conjuror calls his audience together. The sounds
came from behind Tom. Turning in haste, he saw a hooded snake
rearing up its ugly neck and head within a few feet of him. Behind
the snake, sitting crouched together and eyeing him curiously, was
an old man, with coal-black face, white hair, and supernaturally
bright eyes. He was wrapped in a dirty white chuddah; a cloth,
containing his implements of trade, lay outspread before him, and he
held in his hand a light wand, with which he was directing the
movements of the snake.
When Tom turned he stopped his jabber for a moment to beg him
not to be afraid, adding impressively that if he would only have
patience, he would behold such a sight as he had never seen before.
'Others kill,' cried the old man, looking round on the soldiers who,
pleased at any sort of fun, were crouching about him. 'They bring
you a mongoose. There is a fight. The monster is killed. He lies stiff
and stark before you. You clap your hands like silly children. But
what is that? Nothing. I snap my fingers at them. No mongoose
here, good sirs! No killing! I did not say no fight. Yes, you love
fighting, and a fight you shall see! But a man will fight the monster;
a man with his naked hands, and it shall be—not killed—but tamed!
That is the true triumph, my masters—the true revenge! My enemy's
blood, what is it? For a moment it fills my nostrils with its savour, in
the next it is gone. But to tame him, to see him lie down at my feet
and lick my hand, to spurn him once, and yet again; day after day to
behold him grovel more deeply before me. This is joy! This is
ecstasy! And it is this, in little, which I call you to behold.'
He spoke in a high key, and with the most extraordinary rapidity,
holding his wand, as he spoke, over the head of the cobra, which
moved uneasily from side to side as if it were trying to escape from
some fascinating influence. His voice dropped and there was a lull.
The serpent gazed at him sleepily. He crooned a low song, which
seemed to have a stupefying effect upon it, for it dropped and lay
like dead. The soldiers, meantime, stirred to the entrails by his
address, showed all the symptoms of intoxication; some rolling
about in speechless ecstasy, others dancing, singing, and shouting,
so that, in a few moments, the camp was changed into a field of
demons.
There came a cry from the snake-charmer. 'Give me room—room!'
and, in the next instant, he had flung his wand aside, thrown off his
chuddah, and leapt to his feet. At the same moment the serpent
reared itself up, shot out its forked tongue, and threw its sinuous
body at the man, who received it on his knotted arms. The hideous
combat went on for some minutes. Now the man seemed to triumph
and now the serpent. Tom was sick with loathing; but he could not
turn away. An invincible fascination, helped by a suspicion that the
combat had some mysterious importance for himself, kept his eyes
fixed.
Suddenly the silence of the camp was broken. There came a cry of,
'Give place! The Ranee is coming!'
The combat was at its height—the man almost lost in the folds of
the cobra, and the awe-stricken circle falling back—when Tom, who
had kept his position near the snake-charmer, saw her come out.
She was dressed in the brilliant robe of black and gold in which he
had seen her first, and covered from head to foot, so that he could
not see her face. With slow and dignified step she advanced towards
them. She had crossed half the space that separated her from the
snake. It had loosened itself from the man, and was turning in this
new direction. Unable to restrain himself, Tom darted forward. 'Keep
back!' he cried in English. 'You are mad!'
She spread out her arms, waved him back imperiously, and moved
forward. At the same moment Tom saw on the face of the snake-
charmer a look of such anguish and dismay that he thought his
enemy had conquered and given him a deadly wound. Yet the snake
had dropped and was lying at his feet, not dead, but spent.
Confused and troubled, Tom fell back. The lady was advancing still.
She was within a few feet of the snake. Its master warned her back,
but she took no heed of him. Then Tom, who could bear it no longer,
turned away and covered his face with his hands. There was a
moment of absolute silence. His heart beat with curious rapidity,
there was a singing in his ears that almost deprived him of the
power of hearing, and though feeling that this would be the time to
get away, he seemed to lack the power to move a step. All at once
there was a shout. It was followed by another, and then by another,
'Victory! victory! Our Ranee-jee, daughter of the Prophet, protected
of Allah, has triumphed!' The cries rang through the camp, were
taken up by those who clustered round it, and echoed back from the
village, so that in a moment all the country seemed alive.
At the sounds Tom turned, and this was the strange sight he saw. In
the centre of the vast circle and at some little distance from the
snake-charmer, who, recognising probably a master in his craft, had
drawn back, and was now close at Tom's elbow, stood the Ranee.
She stood with her head proudly raised, so that she looked taller
than before. One little foot was planted firmly on the ground, the
other rested on the neck of the cobra, which cowered before her as
if smitten with sudden fear. But the strangest part of all was that the
black and gold saree had been thrown back and that her face was
exposed. With parted lips Tom gazed. It was the face of a little child,
soft and white, with rose-red lips, and smiling eyes, in which the
golden light of summer dawns seemed to be sleeping, and—if he
was not mad—if he was not dreaming—he had seen it before.

CHAPTER XXIV

SUBDUL

Tom's first idea was that she, like himself, was a prisoner, and he
was about to commit the terrible imprudence of flinging himself at
her feet, and begging her to accept his protection, when the snake-
charmer passing him by, brushed him as if by accident, and pausing,
made a low salaam, and breathed an apology. There was a look in
his face which arrested Tom's attention; under cover of the clamour
which had not ceased, he said in a low voice and in Marathi, which
was known to his spies, 'Are you a friend?'
'I am his Highness's servant,' said the man, 'and I will help him to
escape; but he must be prudent. The White Ranee is black of heart.'
As he muttered the last words, speaking them in so low a tone that
no one but Tom could hear, he was moving towards the Ranee. She
greeted him with a smile of childlike triumph, and he prostrated
himself at her feet. Then, resuming his wand, and singing his
lullaby-song, he enticed the monster into its basket, while the
Ranee, having looked round her proudly, threw the black and gold
saree about her head, and returned to the tent. The snake-charmer
began now to circulate among the soldiers. He was full of stories
and jests, and wherever he went he was received with acclamations.
Tom, who had taken up his station under the tree to which Snow-
queen was tethered, watched him moving to and fro. Presently he
noticed a strange thing. It was only as long as the snake-charmer
was in the midst of each little group that its members were joyous or
lively. As soon as he left them they became silent, most of them
falling shortly into a heavy sleep. This must have been apparent to
others besides himself, yet there were none who did not watch for
and expect his coming. Night had fallen before he had made his
round of the camp, and then all, with the exception of two sentinels
outside the tent, were in a deep slumber. He crept now to the
neighbourhood of Tom's station, and professed to curl himself up for
sleep. The sentinels watched him drowsily. After a few minutes of
perfect silence, one of them sat down and leaned his back against a
tree. His comrade followed his example. They exchanged a few
remarks to keep themselves awake. One drank from a bottle in his
girdle and offered it to the other, whereupon their dropping remarks
fell off into silence. And now no one in all the camp was awake but
Tom and the snake-charmer.
It was nearing midnight, but the moon—which was on the wane, but
which in this clear atmosphere diffuses a brilliant light—enabled
them to see their way, and they both arose.
'Now is our time,' said the snake-charmer, chuckling. He was none
other than Subdul, Snow-queen's groom.
'Are you sure they are well settled?' said his master.
'I have given them bhang, Highness. That, and the excitement of the
evening, will make them sleep like the dead; no noise will awake
them. But the nights are short; why does my master linger?'
'Are you sure she is not a prisoner, Subdul? Might she not come with
us if we told her our design?'
'If my master means the Ranee, I tell him that she is black—black at
heart and false of speech. Let not my master trust her.'
'What do you know of her, Subdul?'
'I know what these have told me. Does my lord know Dost Ali Khan?'
'The adopted son of the rajah of that name?' cried Tom, with some
excitement; 'why, I entertained him once. I have now a pass from
him about me. Has he anything to do in this?'
'He has everything to do. He is the hope of thousands. They crowd
round him as their lord. If my master has won Dost Ali Khan's favour
he is lucky. This man, my lord, this so-called prince, has, as I hear,
persuaded the White Ranee to join herself to him. She was married
to an English sahib, and she saw him slain. She looked on at the
slaughter of her countrymen and women, and now, in her new lord's
name, she is taking command of the murderers. If my master wants
any more proof that she is a traitress——'
'Silence, Subdul! She is coming!'
'Master! master!' cried the man in strong excitement, 'now is the
time to fly!'
'I must let her speak to me first.'
'No, no; let my master listen to me! She is a witch; she will enslave
him.'
'Nonsense, Subdul; I know her, I tell you. Be silent!' murmured Tom,
whose heart was beating strangely.
And all this time the White Ranee, with veil thrown back, and face
looking pure and spiritual in the moonlight, was making her way
quietly through the sleepers of the camp towards the spot where
Tom was standing. They were alone now, Subdul having
disappeared. Tom did not move, for a spell seemed to be over him;
so she went close to him and laid her hand on his arm. Then a
sudden trembling seized him.
'Who are you?' he said, in a low voice.
'Surely you know me,' she answered. 'I know you, Tom Gregory.
Why did you run away from Delhi without seeing me again?'
'Why are you here?' he said sternly.
'You are impolite, my dear boy. A question should be answered.'
'This is no time or place for amenities, and you know it. Answer me!
Are you a prisoner? For if so I will take you away with me and
protect you honourably until I can restore you to your own people. If
you are not a prisoner—if you have given yourself up to the enemies
of your race, then I will leave you to reap your own punishment.'
The lady laughed. 'So stern all of a sudden!' she said.
'You are playing with me. You are wasting time.'
'Time was made for slaves, Tom,' said the lady, in a sweet girlish
treble, 'and I am not a slave; neither are you. Sit down under this
tree, and let us talk together quietly. Ah! how pleasant it is to speak
to an Englishman again!'
'Vivien! are you mad?'
'Yes, I am mad, always mad, Tom; but madder than ever now. Be
mad with me; you have no idea how delightful it is to live in a
dream!'
'The dream will soon be over, my poor child. Do you think that you
can tame men as you tame serpents?'
'Think? I am sure of it, Tom!'
'Then, if this is your dream, for heaven's sake awake! Good God!
why do you look at me so?' cried the young fellow, in a sudden
transport.
She was standing before him in the moonlight, her golden hair
blown this way and that way with the wind, her eyes full of laughter,
an expression half-mocking, half-pitiful, playing about her lips.
'Do you know how awful this time is?' he said. 'Are you human?'
She laughed. 'No,' she said, 'I don't think I am. Take my advice,
Tom, and be inhuman too!'
'Vivien, you are playing with me!'
'Of course I am; I never do anything but play. I played with you, and
if it had not been for Grace Elton, who is a very serious young
person, I should have won you over as a playfellow. I played with
Charlie Doncaster, poor boy! But he had not my animal spirits, and
he was beginning to be grave and tiresome when—but I don't want
to talk of disagreeable things. Well! The next was his Royal or
Imperial Highness, Dost Ali Khan. I wonder, by the bye, if you
remember him. I was within an ace of running over him in the
streets of Delhi. It would have been a good thing for some people if
I had succeeded. You saved him, didn't you? Set that as a make-
weight against all your good deeds, Mr. Tom, and see what the result
will be! But to return, as the story-tellers say. I was so much amused
with his Highness that I took the trouble to cultivate him; and it was
a very funny little episode, I can assure you. Heavens! how he hated
me at first! I tell him sometimes that I am surprised he did not kill
me, for I gave him heaps and heaps of chances. He let me live,
however, against his better judgment, I believe, and now he is my
slave. I can do whatever I like with him. What do you say to that for
a game?'
'I say that you are mad—that you don't know what you are saying,
and the night is passing. No more of this folly! Will you come with
me or will you not?'
'Tom, what a baby you are! Never mind, I like you so! But be a wise
baby if you can, and listen to me quietly. I am not going with you. It
would be absurd to begin with, and highly dangerous, all through.
On the other hand, having found you, I don't mean to let you slip
out of my fingers. So you must come with me. I must tell you that
you have been so fortunate as to make Dost Ali Khan, his Imperial
Highness of the future, your friend. He is the great man just now, for
he is the only person in this part of the world who knows what he
wants, so the rest of them look up to him. The soldiers, banded and
disbanded, the native states, the fanatics of the towns, they are all
waiting for his signal. When he gives it—Heavens! I begin to feel
sane, as I think of it—what a conflagration there will be! However,
that is beside the present question'—she stopped to laugh. 'I think I
am speaking rather weightily,' she said; 'don't you? Now, to go on in
the same strain, this exalted personage, whose ally I am, offers you
his friendship. He doesn't wish you to fight for or with him, for he
believes you would say "No," and he has a sort of conscience about
destroying you. What he asks is that you will take me into
Gumilcund—think of the magnanimity of it!—and keep me there until
the explosion is over. Then, if the world doesn't meanwhile fall in
ruins about us, we can decide about the future.'
She paused and went a little closer to him. A cloud had veiled the
face of the moon so that, near as she was, he could only see her
indistinctly; but he felt her—felt her in every nerve of his being, and
for a moment he hesitated. Why should he not, after all, take her
back to Gumilcund first, and leave her there in safety before setting
forth on any other mission of rescue? He did not believe all she had
told him. Either she was mad—as she said of herself—and in that
case she ought to be protected from the results of her own mad
actions; or else she was playing with him. Yes, she had herself
spoken the word. But was she accountable for her own strange
nature? Should she be punished because she could not see the awful
realities that lay about her? Since, by some strange freak of fortune,
she had been able so far to gain protection, was he to deny her the
asylum that would make her safety sure?
While he reasoned with himself she stood by him. She did not speak,
she did not stir; but as the silence prolonged itself a sigh, soft as the
breath of a sleeping child, escaped her lips.
'Vivien!' he said tremulously, 'is that you?'
'Yes, it is I; I am near you. You will come with me, Tom?' she
murmured; and, in low caressing tones, 'Dearest Tom!'
'Why do you say that?' he said, hoarsely.
'Listen to him, poor child!' she cried. 'Why? Can't you tell? Can't you
imagine?'
'You are false!' he groaned; 'you have said it of yourself!'
'False to others, Tom; never to you!'
'False to one is false to all.'
'Listen to him!' she cried again. 'What an exalted standard! But, my
young king, let me tell you that you are ungrateful and unjust. If I
could only save you by being false to others; if every subterfuge,
from the beginning, was planned for this—that I might have you;
that I might hold your life in my hands—what then?'
'Is it so?' he said hoarsely.
'You see!' she cried; 'you were cold because you did not understand!'
At this moment, when his will was passing away from him, and his
heart was as wax in the midst of his body, there came a strange and
sudden disturbance. Subdul Khan had been crouching behind them;
his ear was to the ground, and all his senses were on the alert, for
he feared treachery. Whether he did actually hear in the distance the
rumble of gun-carriages and the sound of armed men on the march,
or whether he merely professed to hear them to arouse his master,
cannot be certainly known; but the effect was the same. Suddenly,
with a cry of, 'The rebels are upon us!' he sprang to his feet.
Snow-queen was saddled, and so was the horse of Subdul Khan.
They mounted them together, and while Vivien, with a ringing cry, to
which none of the besotted men about her paid any heed, ran
frantically through the camp, Snow-queen and her master, going like
the wind, disappeared in the distance.
 CHAPTER XXV

AN AWFUL RIDE AND A RESCUE

Hurry on, brave men! let the wind be your messenger; stop neither
to eat nor drink; through the long sultry day and at nightfall, when
the awful eye of day is closed and the stars come out pale and
languid overhead, even until morning dawns and the terrible round
of sweltering heat and blinding dust begins again—hurry on! By
narrow and unfrequented ways, through villages whose favour has
been bought, under the shade of trees, and across tracts of jungle,
where you are obliged to go at a foot-pace, giving breathing time to
the gallant beasts that have carried you so bravely—on and ever on,
for two dreadful days and nights, that to one of you seem ever
afterwards like an awful dream. And yet, you are too late. And well it
may be for yourselves that you did not arrive earlier. For the storm
has broken. In fire, and blood, and fever it is spreading from city to
city, and Jhansi, the home and citadel of a woman scorned, has
caught the dread contagion.
Up to June 1 they were at peace. The Ranee still sat smiling in her
palace, and still she added to her body-guard persons of proved
loyalty, and still the English believed her promises, and still the
troops within the city proclaimed their faithfulness loudly. And why
did the English need to fear? Meerut had not moved them. Delhi had
not moved them. The native states, Gwalior and Gumilcund, and
Rewah and Banda, were holding their hands. Nay, it was known that
some of them had offered help to the Paramount Power in the re-
establishment of order; and even if they had feared, what could they
do? To show mistrust at this eleventh hour would be to undo all that
had gone before, and to ruin everything.
On June 3 mysterious fires broke out; but even these did not unduly
alarm them. They were attributed to accident. It was not until the
4th that their eyes were opened. Then the soldiers on parade,
breaking away suddenly and causelessly as it appeared to those who
had not heard of the secret messages that had been passing
between the palace and the native lines, shot down their sergeant
and seized the artillery, and with it made their way to the fort within
the native city.
The Ranee still sat smiling in her palace; but when the news came to
her she ordered the palace gates to be opened, mounted her horse
and cantered over to the lines with her own faithful body-guard, who
in her name had seized upon the treasury, behind her.
Some of the English officers had been hurrying to her palace. They
were told on the way that she was in the hands of the mutineers,
and instantly the full magnitude of what had happened darted upon
them. They dashed back to the cantonments, calling as they went
on the English and Eurasians to follow them into the Star Fort, the
only building belonging to them now that was capable of defence. It
all happened in a moment. Some of them had not even heard of the
disturbance on parade. In the little house, once a tomb on the
maidan, something had been seen; but no one clearly understood
what had happened. 'Father will be in presently, and then we shall
hear,' said Mrs. White to her little Aglaia, as she tried to soothe her
off to sleep. But then the ayah rushed in like a wild creature, and
with a cry of 'They are coming; hide!' tore the child out of her arms.
She knew little more. Some one came and dragged her out of the
house, and she was mounted on a horse, to which, crying out for
her child, she clung because she could not help herself, and there
was a mad, sick flight across the blaze of the maidan, with yells at
her heels, which seemed to recede as she flew on, and then all at
once she was in the Fort amongst a circle of frightened women, and
her husband, who had not come for her himself, having work to do,
was with the men, but her child—her little darling—was nowhere to
be seen. She made a wild rush for the door. Even amongst the
rebels there must be some one who would have mercy upon her.
When they held her back by force her shrieks and cries were piteous
to hear.
But all were not so helpless. In the little spell of time given them by
the rebels who were quarrelling over the booty, the men looked up
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