There would be no withstanding a single charge of the well trained troopers, especially as it would be necessary to guard the vehicles.

Had it not been for that, the small body of men might possibly have cut their way through the cavalry; but even then they would be so hotly pursued that the most of them would assuredly be hunted down.

But encumbered by the women such an enterprise seemed utterly hopeless, and the whole of the others were unanimously against it.
The party broke up very early.

The strain of maintaining their ordinary demeanor was too great to be long endured, and the ladies with children were anxious to return as soon as possible to them, lest at the last moment the Sepoys should have made some change in their arrangements.

By ten o'clock the whole party had left.
The two subalterns had no preparations to make; they had already sent most of their things into the hospital; and, lighting their pipes, they sat down and talked quietly till midnight; then, placing their pistols in their belts and wrapping themselves in their cloaks, they went into the Doctor's tent, which was next to theirs.
The Doctor at once roused his servant, who was sleeping in a shelter tent pitched by the side of his.