boots and manoeuvring him to his bedroom, for the
exciting events of the last twenty-four hours had been too much for his
weak frame and delicate nerves.

I was silting at the open porch in the gloaming, turning over in my
mind the unexpected events which had occurred so rapidly--the gale, the
wreck, the rescue, and the strange character of the castaways--when my
sister came quietly over to me and put her hand in mine.

"Don't you think, Jack." she said, in her low, sweet voice, "that we
are forgetting our friends over at Cloomber? Hasn't all this excitement
driven their fears and their danger out of our heads?"

"Out of our heads, but never out of our hearts," said I, laughing.
"However, you are right, little one, for our attention has certainly
been distracted from them. I shall walk up in the morning and see if I
can see anything of them. By the way, to-morrow is the fateful 5th of
October--one more day, and all will be well with us."

"Or ill," said my sister gloomily.

"Why, what a little croaker you are, to be sure!" I cried. "What in the
world is coming over you?"

"I feel nervous and low-spirited," she answered, drawing closer to my
side and shivering. "I feel as if some great peril were hanging over the
heads of those we love. Why should these strange men wish to stay upon
the coast?"

"What, the Buddhists?" I said lightly. "Oh, these fellows have continual
feast-days and religious rites of all sorts. They have some very good
reason for staying, you may be sure."

"Don't you think," said Esther, in an awe-struck whisper, "that it is
very strange that these priests should arrive here all the way from
India just at the present moment? Have you not gathered from all you
have heard that the general's fears are in some way connected with India
and the Indians?"

The remark made me thoughtful.

"Why, now that you mention it," I answered, "I have some vague
impression that the mystery is connected with some incident which
occurred in that country. I am sure, however, that your fears would
vanish if you saw Ram Singh. He is the very personification of wisdom
and benevolence. He was shocked at the idea of our killing a sheep, or
even a fish for his benefit--said he would rather die than have a hand
in taking the life of an animal."

"It is very foolish of me to be so nervous," said my sister bravely.
"But you must promise me one thing, Jack. You will go up to Cloomber in
the morning, and if you can see any