with the
horse, that I might help you to escape."

"Stay and talk to me here," the young prince said. "It will seem
that I am only passing my time in asking you questions about the
country."

"I wanted to ascertain the road by which you will travel, after
crossing the river. I have money with me, and will endeavour to
raise a force of forty or fifty men; with which to make a sudden
attack upon your camp, after nightfall. I will bring a good horse
with me. If you will run out when you hear the uproar, I will ride
up with the spare horse. You will leap on to its back, and we can
gallop off."

"You are a brave fellow, Puntojee, and I thank you heartily for
your offer; but, happily, I stand in no need of it. I have gained
Ghatgay over, and he will linger here until we hear that Balloba
has been arrested, and that Nana Furnuwees is approaching Poona.
Believe me, I shall never forget your offer, or the fidelity that
has prompted it; and when I am established as Peishwa you shall, if
it pleases you, have any post at court you may desire."

"I thank you much, Prince; but I am an officer of Nana, and know
that, in acting as I have done, I am acting in his interest, as
well as yours. I am glad that the necessity for making an attack
upon the camp is obviated. I might have had considerable trouble in
raising a sufficient force for such a purpose, for even the most
reckless would hesitate to fall on one of Scindia's officers; and
in the next place, although I doubt not that I should have been
able to carry you off, Ghatgay would, as soon as he had beaten off
the attacking party, have set out in pursuit, and raised the whole
country, and the difficulty of reaching the Western Ghauts would
have been immense.

"I hope to see Your Highness at Poona."

So saying, he strolled carelessly back to the bullock cart, waited
till the animals had finished their feed, and then drove off again;
returned the cart to its owner, and started again for Poona.

On his arrival there, he went to the Residency and informed Mr.
Malet that Bajee had gained over the officer who was escorting him,
and was ready to come back to Poona, as soon as the blow was
struck.

"It will be struck soon," Mr. Malet said. "All is in readiness. I
sent your report on to the Council, urging that, as it seemed
likely that Bajee Rao would soon be on the musnud, they should
express their readiness to recognize him. I received a despatch
only yesterday, saying that t