ough not in uniform, were sitting under the bushes a couple
of hundred yards or so from the cave entrance.

"Ali Khan, go and meet the party from the camp and see that they make as
little noise as possible," said Burton to one of his men; and then to
another he said, "Sergeant, come with me; we must find out whether there
is a guard placed at the entrance; if there is, we must secure him."

The two crept stealthily along, and, when some twenty yards from the
cave, a man sprang up within a few feet of them and dashed off towards
the cave, but he had not taken many steps when he tripped, and before he
could recover himself Burton pounced upon him, and in a few moments the
man was gagged and bound.

By the time the Doctor and Tom with the rest of the men had arrived,
Burton had explored the cave as far as the rope-ladder without any
further encounter.

Two men were left at the entrance of the cave with the prisoner, another
was stationed at the foot of the ladder and two more at the top, and a
man was left at each of the side passages opening from the main gallery.

"Now, Doctor," said Burton, when he had led the party some distance into
the cave beyond the ladder, "will you remain here with the men whilst
Tom goes with me to try and discover where Appoyas and his gang are, and
how many we have to deal with? They have some special work on at ten
o'clock in what they call the Temple of Atlas, and I don't know where it
is. If you hear me whistle, then light your lamps and come on as quickly
as possible. Now quietly, Tom," and they went ahead.

"She--e--e! See, there's a light. Some of them are in the cave-chamber
where I heard them last night," whispered Burton to Tom.

Hearing voices, they silently crept nearer until they could hear what
was said.

"I sent no message to the Doctor Sahib to-day, lest Koj Burton should
remain to inquire into it. Brothers, Koj Burton is far away, and at the
bottom of the river Hydaspes (Jhelum), I hope, if our men did their
duty. Now, brothers, follow me to the Temple of Atlas and we will take
the fifty years' offerings to the inner Temple of Hydas. By giving
liberal offerings to the gods they bless us and we get much wealth.
Come, it is the time."

The speaker was Appoyas, and under cover of the noise made in the
chamber as his men lighted torches and prepared to follow him, Burton
and Tom slipped some distance back along the passage, for they knew not
which direction the men would