s side of the first village--the one half a mile
beyond the ford. It is the only house this side of the village, so you
cannot mistake it. It lies about a hundred yards back from the road. I
will go over and arrange with him that, when two horses arrive, they
shall be placed in his stalls, and remain there until one arrives who
will say to him, after greeting, the word 'Madras'. To him he is to
deliver the horses at once, whether he comes by night or day."

"That would do admirably, Pertaub. Of course, I shall also want
saddles and bridles. How much do you think it will come to,
altogether? I do not want showy horses, but they must be animals
capable of performing a long journey, and of travelling at a fair rate
of speed--the faster the better. We are likely to get seven or eight
hours start, at least; but must, of course, travel fast. As long as
all goes well, I shall keep the main roads, but if there is a
breakdown, or an unforeseen accident occurs, I may have to leave the
road and take to bypaths."

"The cost of such horses would be about eighty rupees each; the
saddles and bridles another fifteen or twenty."

"Then here are two hundred rupees, Pertaub."

"Have you given up all hope of finding your father, Sahib? I have felt
so sure that you would be successful. It seemed to me that such brave
efforts could not go unrewarded."

"No, Pertaub, I have not given it up, at all. I intend to stay at
Tripataly for a fortnight, with my mother, and shall then come up the
ghauts again.

"That is another matter I want to speak to you about. Of course, we
should not dare to return to Seringapatam, and I think that we had
better settle to go to Bangalore. Could you forward our packs, with
the merchandise, to someone in that town?"

"There will be no difficulty in that, Sahib. There are many Hindoo
merchants there, who have been forced to change their religion, and
who have frequent dealings with traders here. One of my friends will,
I am sure, forward your goods with the next consignment that he sends
to Bangalore. That, also, I will arrange tomorrow, and when you come
in the evening will give you the name of the trader there, together
with a letter from the one here, telling him that you are the person
to whom the goods are to be given up."

"Thank you, Pertaub. I don't know what we should have done, without
your assistance."

"It has been a pleasure, to me, to be of use to you, Sahib. I had
thought my time of usefuln