safe, and he toiled up to the plain
supporting the woman, who was a Laos, judging from her garments and
slight, graceful form.

Spreading for her a couch of skins, we left her reclining wearily in the
tent, to which Denviers conducted her, then hastened towards Hassan,
whom we found still keeping guard over our two captives. The Arab, when
he heard of the hazardous venture which Denviers had made, stoutly urged
us to put our prisoners to death, as a warning to the hunted tribe that
their misdeeds could not always be carried on with impunity. For reply
Denviers quietly took the pistol from the Arab's hand, and then we
returned towards the tent, outside which we rested till day dawned.

The woman within the tent then arose and came towards us, thanking
Denviers profusely for saving her from such a death as had confronted
her. She told us that her betrothal to a neighbouring prince had taken
place only a few days before, but although every precaution had been
taken to keep the affair secret, the news was conveyed to the hunted
tribe by some one of the many supporters of the mountaineers. As she was
a woman of high rank, this seemed to them a suitable opportunity to
strike further terror into the hearts of the people inhabiting the
cities about the Meinam. Their plans had been thoroughly successful, for
they had despoiled several of the richest citizens, slaying those who
opposed them, then snatching the woman up, began to carry her off to
live among their tribeswomen, and to become one of them, when we
fortunately saved her from that fate. We promised to conduct her to the
city whence she had been stolen, which we eventually did, but before
setting out for that purpose we visited our prisoners again.

"Hassan," said Denviers, "release the men from the trees." The Arab most
reluctantly did so, stoutly maintaining that after Mahomet had helped us
so strangely and successfully, we would be wiser either to shoot them or
leave them bound till someone discovered and dealt with our prisoners as
they deserved.

The ropes were accordingly unbound which fastened them to the trees;
then Denviers pointed to the distant range of the Three Hundred Peaks
and bade them begone. The two prisoners set forward at a run, being not
a little surprised at our clemency. When they had at last disappeared in
the distance, we moved towards the city beyond Ayuthia to restore the
princess to her people, who had, by our means, been snatched from the