ly spot like this?"

A dozen steps again and the questions were answered. They cleared a
little ridge and saw, two or three hundred yards ahead, a great
glowing patch of red where a big fire blazed up, and figures moved to
and fro about it.

"A watch-fire," said Jack. "We'd better dodge back. Luckily they're up
wind."

The fugitives retreated until the fire was hidden from their view by a
great rock, then put their heads closely together to whisper to each
other.

"Watchmen," said Me Dain; "they are watchmen keeping guard over the
path which runs out of the valley towards the hills."

"Then those cunning villains have set a watch over every road,"
murmured Mr. Haydon. "Do you know of any way to get out without
following a path, Me Dain, any way by which we can clamber over the
hills?"

"No, sahib, I do not," replied the Burman; "but here is the woman who
has lived ten years in the valley. I will ask her."

For a couple of minutes Me Dain and the native woman held a whispered
conversation, then the Burman breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"She can take us out of the valley, sahibs. She can lead us by a way,
very rough and hard to follow, but very little used, where they would
not trouble to set a guard. But we cannot follow it in the darkness.
She will take us to the mouth of the pass, and there we must wait for
daylight."

"Good, good," said Jack in a cheerful whisper, "we'll dodge these
fellows after all. What luck that the woman marched with us!"

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when a fierce yelping and
snarling broke out not forty yards away, and the sound swiftly
approached them.

"Confound it all, a dog, a dog!" growled Mr. Haydon.

In another instant the animal was leaping and bounding within two or
three yards of them, snarling savagely, and then making the hill-side
ring with its piercing barks. It belonged to one of the guards, and
had been prowling about in search of food when it caught the scent of
the fugitives.

"This way, this way, sahibs," cried Me Dain in low, eager tones.
"Quick, quick, the men sure to come to see why the dog make a noise."

"Sure to, for a certainty," groaned Mr. Haydon. "Well, we must run for
it."

Away they hurried as fast as the darkness would permit, and the
wretched cur hung on their heels, yelping and barking without pause,
and thus guiding the guards straight to their prey.

"We must stop this brute's mouth or we are utterly done for," said
Jack.