the blankets carefully arranged for
Annie's use, and then they went back to the place where she was lying,
still asleep.

"Put the provisions into the wallet again, Ibrahim. We will see if we
can get her up without waking her. She is so dead beat that, perhaps,
we may do so. I don't suppose she would be able to eat anything, if we
woke her.

"I had better mount first. Then you, Surajah, can lift her up to me. I
can stoop down, and take her from your arms, and put her in front of
me. She is no weight to speak of."

Very gently, Surajah put his arms under the sleeping girl, and lifted
her.

"That is right," Dick said, as he placed her on the blankets before
him, and held her with his right arm, with her head against his
shoulder. "She is dead asleep."

The blankets were strapped on to the horses again, the others mounted,
and they started, at a walk, out of the wood. As soon as they were on
the road, the horses broke into a canter again. Annie moaned uneasily,
but did not open her eyes. Dick drew her still more closely to him.

"She will do now, Surajah," he said, in a low voice. "I hope that she
will sleep till morning."

Half an hour later, they rode through Sultanpetta. It was quite dark
now, and although there were people in the streets, Dick knew that at
the rate they were riding, in the darkness, the fact that he was
carrying a lad in front of him would scarce be noticed. Nor would it
be of any consequence if it were, as, even if they met any officer who
should stop and question them, it would suffice to say that the lad
had been taken ill; and that, their business being urgent, they were
taking him on with them.

Four hours later they passed through Conkanelly, and crossed the
bridge over a branch of the Cauvery. Here Dick felt that his horse was
flagging. Halting, he dismounted, and lifted Annie down. This time the
movement woke her; she gave a little cry.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"You are quite safe, child," Dick said cheerfully. "Just lie quiet in
my arms. We have come five hours' journey, and as my horse is getting
tired, I am changing to yours. Ibrahim is shifting the rugs that you
have been sitting on."

"I can go on by myself," she said, making a little struggle to get
down.

"You must be good, and do what you are told," he said, with a laugh.
"Remember that you are a slave, and I am your master, at present."

She said nothing more until they were seated afresh, and had got into
motion.