together, held an excited council in semi-whispers. In the heated
discussion some spoke louder than they imagined, and the night being
particularly still and the place well adapted for carrying sound, I
overheard words which put me on the alert, for I soon convinced myself
that they were arranging to sell my head ... yes ... and to divide the
money.

The men got closer together, and spoke so faintly, that I could hear no
more. Then they each in turn placed one hand above the other along a
stick, until the end of it was reached; each man then passed it to his
neighbour, who went through the same form; a complicated manner of
drawing lots, common among the Shokas. Eventually the man selected by
fate drew from a load a large Gourkha _kukri_, and removed its scabbard.
A strange, almost fantastic impression remains on my mind of the moment
when the men, with their faces lighted by the small flame of the
flickering fire, all looked up towards my eyrie. The culminating point of
their treachery had come, and their countenances seemed ghastly and
distorted, as seen from the fissure in the wall behind which I knelt.
They listened to hear if we were asleep. Then all but one rolled
themselves in their blankets, completely covering their heads and bodies.
The one figure I could now see sat up by the fire for some time, as if
absorbed in thought. Every now and then he turned his head up towards my
fortress, and listened. At last he got up, and with his feet smothered
the fire. It was a lovely night, and as soon as the reddish flame was put
out the stars shone again like diamonds in the small patch of deep blue
sky visible above my head.

I rested the barrel of my rifle on the wall, my eyes being fixed on the
black figure down below. I watched as, stooping low, it crawled step by
step the few yards up to my abode, pausing to listen each time that a
rolling stone caused a noise. It was now only two or three yards away,
and seemed to hesitate. Drawing back, and ready to spring up, I kept my
eyes fixed on the top of the wall. I waited some time, but the man was in
no hurry, and I grew impatient.

I slowly got up, rifle in hand, and as I raised my head above the wall I
found myself face to face with the man on the other side. I lost no time
in placing the muzzle of my Mannlicher close to his face, and the
perplexed Shoka, dropping his _kukri_, went down on his knees to implore
my pardon. After giving him a good pounding with the butt o