ainst your Queen."

The rajah smiled, and, with true Eastern cunning, paid--

"I shall order my men to protect their chiefs property. Those are my
hathees. They shall not go and show the men who have risen that I have
helped you. Come, be wise. Stop here, and I will give you refuge.
Where can you flee better?"

"To where men are faithful to their Queen."

"It is of no use, Brace," said the doctor. "Make a virtue of necessity,
man." Then, turning to the rajah, "You will give us safe conduct down
to your place?"

"Yes," said the rajah, quickly; "and if there is danger, my people shall
hide my old friends. It is war now, not against men we know, but
against the Koompanni."

"Let's ride back to the rajah's place," said the doctor, in a whisper;
"we may make some terms with him on the way."

"Can we trust him?" replied Brace. "There is a look about him I hardly
like."

"Help the sahibs," said the rajah; and then he made a sign, with the
result that the mahouts made their elephants kneel down again, and,
after a little hesitation, Brace mounted, and I followed him, while,
after orders had been given for the second tiger to be placed on the pad
elephant, we set off down the valley, the rajah riding abreast, while
his armed men came behind, leading the pad elephant with the shikaree
and the beaters.

The sun shone brightly as ever; the jungle growth away to right and left
was glorious to behold, and the sky was of as vivid a blue as the edge
of the forest was green; but it was as if a terrible black cloud had
come down over us, and all were changed. We had ridden up that gorge
full of excitement, and in the eager anticipation of a day's sport; now
we knew that we were on our way to face death and terrors that I shrank
from contemplating.

From time to time Brace gave an order to our mahout, and he went on
abreast of the little elephant which bore the doctor and the wounded
man, when a short eager conversation took place; Brace being of opinion
that the outbreak was only local, and that our course would be to send
messengers at once east and west to the nearest stations for help; but
the doctor took a more serious view of the case.

"Perhaps I'm wrong," he said, "but I fear we have been growing this
trouble for years past."

"What do you mean?" cried Brace, impatiently.

"You ask me that?" said the doctor. "Well, I mean that your Bartons, of
whom there are thousands through the country--as officers, ma