iseless glide.

"Come on," he said. "Not stop at all. She tell me everything."

Away they went at once, Me Dain leading the way, with Jack and his
father close behind. The Burman dodged round the corner of the hut,
and struck at once into a hard well-trodden path which was at once
swallowed up in the thick shade of a close-set grove of bamboos. It
was a path leading to a pagoda much frequented by the villagers, and
would show no sign by which they might be tracked on the morrow. Me
Dain had made himself familiar with the ins and outs of the place, and
he marched forward with a swift and assured step. Luckily, the hut
stood right on the outskirts of the village, and in a few moments they
were out of sight of any house, and when they turned aside from the
path to the pagoda they soon left behind all sign of human presence.

As they crossed a little clearing, Jack thought he heard a soft
footfall in their rear. He turned, and saw, to his surprise, that the
native woman was a short distance behind them, with her child in her
arms.

"Why," said Jack, "the woman of the hut is following us."

"Yes," replied Me Dain. "She must come, sahib. If U Saw catch her, he
burn her alive for hiding you."

"Likely enough, the unspeakable brute," murmured Mr. Haydon. "We must
put the poor woman in a place of safety, Me Dain. We owe her a great
deal."

"She not want to stop in that place, anyhow, sahib," replied the
Burman. "She belong to a village over the hills. She want to go back,
now her husband is dead."

"Oh, very good," said Mr. Haydon. "We'll put her right if we have the
chance."

"Yes, yes," said Jack. "She's been a good staunch friend to us, the
same as you, Me Dain."

"Very true, Jack," said Mr. Haydon.

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE FLIGHT FROM THE VALLEY.

They now went a couple of miles in silence, keeping a sharp look-out
on every hand. But they gained the foot of the hills which encircled
the valley without seeing or hearing anything which might promise
danger.

With Me Dain still in the van, they climbed steadily up a steep slope
and over a rocky saddle between two peaks which lifted sharp points
against the starry sky.

As they gained the saddle, Jack whispered sharply: "Stop, Me Dain,
what's this? I smell something."

"Me too," said the Burman, snuffing cautiously. "There is a fire
somewhere ahead."

"A fire," said Mr. Haydon. "We must take care. Who have lighted it,
and what are they doing in a lone