t the horses should not be
knocked up, as their lives might depend upon their speed.

When within ten miles of their destination, they halted in a grove
near the Moola river. Here Harry changed his clothes, and assumed
those of a small merchant. Then he mounted the pony; a portion of
the packs was fastened behind him, and the rest carried by his
servant.

Scindia's camp lay around Toka, a town on the Godavery at the foot
of a range of hills. On arriving there he went to the field bazaar,
where a large number of booths, occupied by traders and country
peasants, were erected. The former principally sold arms, saddlery,
and garments; the latter, the produce of their own villages.
Choosing an unoccupied piece of ground, Harry erected a little
shelter tent; composed of a dark blanket thrown over a ridge pole,
supported by two others, giving a height of some four feet, in the
centre. The pony was picketed just behind this. In front of it a
portion of the wares was spread out, and Harry began the usual loud
exhortations, to passers by, to inspect them.

Having thus established himself, he left Wasil in charge,
explaining to him the prices that he was to ask for each of the
articles sold, and then started on a tour through the camp. Here
and there pausing to listen to the soldiers, he picked up scraps of
news; and learned that there was a general expectation that the
army would march, in a day or two, towards Poona--it being rumoured
that Scindia and his minister, Balloba, had been outwitted by Nana
Furnuwees; and that Balloba had made no secret of his anger, but
vowed vengeance against the man who had overthrown plans which, it
had been surely believed, would have resulted in Scindia's
obtaining supreme control over the Deccan.

Returning to his little tent, he wrote a letter to Nana, telling
him what he had gathered, and giving approximately the strength of
Scindia's force; adding that, from what he heard, the whole were
animated with the desire to avenge what they considered an insult
to their prince. This note he gave to Wasil, who at once started on
foot to join Sufder; who would forward it, by four troopers, to
Poona.

The next morning he returned and, after purchasing provisions from
the countrymen, and lighting a fire for cooking them, he assisted
Harry at his stall. The latter was standing up, exhibiting a
garment to a soldier, who was haggling with him over the price,
when a party of officers rode by. At their