ts and ammunition pouches, could
never do it, especially at night; and in the daytime, even if a body
of troops strong enough to be of any use could get up, those who first
arrived at the top would be killed before the others could come to
their assistance, and a few stones rolled down would sweep all behind
them to the bottom.

"I don't like turning my back on the place," he went on, as they
turned their horses' heads to the south; for Savandroog was the
farthest north of the forts they were to visit. "It seems to me that,
even now, my father may be there."

"How can that be, Dick?" Surajah said in surprise. "Nothing could be
more straightforward than the governor seemed to be. I thought that he
was even rash, in speaking as frankly as he did to us."

"I think he saw there was no fear of our repeating what he said,
Surajah. He is a frank, outspoken old soldier, and has evidently been
so disgusted at the treatment of the prisoners that he could not mince
his words; and yet, you know, he did not absolutely say that he had no
prisoners."

"No; I noticed that he did not reply directly to your question."

"On the contrary, he distinctly hesitated before he spoke. Now, why
should he have done that? He might just as well have said, 'No, I have
no prisoners. They are only sent up here for execution.' That would
have been his natural answer. Instead of that he hesitated, and then
began, 'I don't want any of them here; batches are sent up sometimes
from Bangalore.' Now, why did he shirk the question? If it had been
any other subject, I might not have noticed that he had not really
answered it, but of course, as it was so important a one, I was
listening most anxiously for his reply, and noticed his hesitation at
once, and that he gave no direct answer at all.

"Now, think it over, Surajah. Why should he have hesitated, and why
should he have turned the question off without answering it, unless
there had been some reason? And if so, what could the reason be?"

Surajah had no suggestion to make, and they rode on for some distance
in silence.

"It is quite evident," Dick went on, after a long pause, "that he is a
kind-hearted man, and that he objects altogether to Tippoo's cruelty
to the prisoners. Therefore, if he had any captives, his reason for
not answering was most likely a kindly one."

"Yes, I should think so."

"You see, he would consider that we should report, to the sultan, all
particulars we had gathered abo