She had grown as pale as death, and Tom said, "Courage, cousin; don't be frightened at a name." "Well, sir," continued Burnside, putting the forefinger and thumb of each hand together, as if he was making "windows" with soapsuds, "Captain Desborough has surprised that gang in a gully, sir, and," spreading his hands out right and left, "obliterated them." "The devil!" said Tom, while the Doctor got up and stood beside Mary.
"Smashed them, sir," continued Burnside; "extinguished them utterly.

He had six of his picked troopers with him, and they came on them suddenly and brought them to bay.

You see, two troopers have been murdered lately, and so our men, when they got face to face with the cowardly hounds, broke discipline and wouldn't be held.

They hardly fired a shot, but drew their sabres, and cut the dogs down almost to a man.
Three only out of twelve have been captured alive, and one of them is dying of a wound in the neck." And, having finished, little Burnside folded his arms and stood in a military attitude, with the air of a man who had done the thing himself, and was prepared to receive his meed of praise with modesty.
"Courage, Mary," said Tom; "don't be frightened at shadows."-- He felt something sticking in his throat, but spoke out nevertheless.
"And their redoubted captain," he asked; "what has become of him ?" "What, Touan himself ?" said Burnside.

"Well, I am sorry to say that that chivalrous and high-minded gentleman was found neither among the dead nor the living.