ave Charlie, he had
contrived to pick up enough of the language to make himself fairly
intelligible; and, since the day when Hossein had saved Charlie's life
at Ambur, the warmest friendship had sprung up between the
good-humoured and warm-hearted Irishman, and the silent and devoted
Mohammedan.

Tim's friendship even extended so far as to induce a toleration of
Hossein's religion. He had come to the conclusion that a man who, at
stated times in the day, would leave his employment, whatever it might
be, spread his carpet, and be for some minutes lost in prayer, could
not be altogether a hathen; especially when he learned, from Charlie,
that the Mohammedans, like ourselves, worship one God. For the sake of
his friend, then, he now generally excluded the Mohammedans from the
general designation of heathen, which he still applied to the Hindoos.

He learned from Hossein that the latter, having observed from a
distance the Europeans driven into the cell at Calcutta, perceived at
once how fatal the consequences would be. He had, an hour or two after
they were confined there, approached with some water, but the officer
on guard had refused to let him give it. He had then gone into the
native town, but being unable to find any fruit there, had walked out
to the gardens, and had picked a large basketful. This he had brought
as an offering to the officer, and the latter had then consented to
his giving one bowl of water to the prisoners, among whom, as he had
told him, was his master. For bringing a second bowl, contrary to his
orders, Hossein had, as Tim saw, been struck down; but had the
satisfaction of believing that his master, and Tim, had derived some
benefit from his effort.

On the following morning, to his delight, he saw them issue among the
few survivors from the dungeon; and had, when they were taken up the
country, followed close behind them, arriving at the town on the same
day as themselves. He had, ever since, been wandering round the
prison. He had taken a house, so close to it that he could keep a
watch on all the windows facing the town; and had, day after day, kept
his eyes fixed upon these without success. He had, at last, found out
from one of the soldiers that the white prisoners were confined on the
other side of the prison; but until he saw Charlie's cap, he had been
unable to discover the room in which they were confined.

In the morning, they started for the town. Groups of peasants were
already m