d round the neck of a gun, and Abdool at once slipped
down. There was a pause, then a slight dull sound, and the rope
hung loose.

"The knot at the end is ten feet from the ground," Abdool said, in
a low tone.

"That is near enough," Harry replied, and then he swung himself
over.

When he came to the last knot, he lowered himself to the full
length of his arms and let go. The fall was not much more than a
yard; and Abdool stood close by, ready to catch him, should he miss
his foothold on alighting.

They at once started, at a rapid pace, down the hill. They had
nearly reached the plain when the deep note of a horn was heard.

"That is the alarm!" Harry exclaimed. "They have found out that I
have gone."

"They will soon be after us, but there is no fear of their catching
us," Abdool said, as they broke into a trot. "No one will know, at
first, what has happened. Everyone will run to his post; then they
will have to search the fort, and all the ground between it and the
lower wall. All that will take time. It may be an hour before
horsemen start.

"I did not think that they would miss you till tomorrow morning."

"I suppose the rajah sent up for me, to amuse himself by
threatening me. He would hardly venture to do more, until he is
sure that Holkar has defeated us. However, as you say, there is
very little chance of their catching us."

As soon as they were down on the plain, Harry went on:

"We had better strike north, for an hour or two. They are sure to
ride across the plain in the direction of Delhi, thinking we shall
make straight for the city."

"That will be best, sahib."

Fortunately the rain had ceased, and the sky was cloudless, so that
they were able to direct their course by the stars. For two hours
they kept due north, and then turned west. It was a long journey
from the point where they turned. Harry calculated that it would be
nearly fifty miles. The fort was some fifteen miles northeast of
Sekerah, and they were now farther away from Delhi than they had
been when they started. He felt the advantage of the light native
dress, and the sandals that Abdool had given him instead of his
boots.

When they came across cultivated ground they walked; but a great
portion of the country was a sandy waste; with the ruins of
villages and temples that had, in the palmy days of the empire,
stood there. Across this they went at a trot, for the sand was
generally compact enough to sustain their weight.