s hut,
perhaps, has caught fire,' I said to myself, as I pushed onward. As I
drew still nearer there seemed to be several fires, and I began to fear
that an entire village, perhaps, was on fire. I determined, at all
events, to ascertain the cause of the conflagration before I stopped to
rest. I walked on, therefore, as fast as I could, and at length, having
reached a slightly rising ground, I saw before me a number of tents
grouped together, at a short distance from each other, and enclosed by a
circle of waggons. Outside the waggons were tethered horses, and
donkeys, and mules, and several head of cattle. The whole encampment,
even at that early hour, was astir: some persons were bending round the
fires which had at first attracted my attention, busily employed in
cooking; others were lashing up packages, filling panniers with the
contents of the tents; while young lads were carrying round fodder and
water to the horses and cattle. They might have been mistaken for a
party of merchants going with goods brought from far-off provinces to
the fair of Nishni, but I recognised them at once as a band of Zingari
or gipsies, probably bound in the same direction. I had often met these
people during the long period of my wanderings, and I was well
acquainted with their habits. Under certain restrictions from
Government they rove about the country, and lead a free and independent
life of a purely nomadic character. They are not so wealthy as those
who live in the towns, and sing on the stage and in public gardens; but
they are more trustworthy, and have more rude virtues than their
brethren of the city. Oftentimes had I spent nights together in their
tents when they knew that they were running some risk by sheltering me,
and might, perhaps, have obtained some reward by handing me over to
Government. I was in hopes that I might find among them some of my
former friends, so I resolved at once to go boldly among them. As I
drew near the encampment, a number of dogs rushed out from beneath the
waggons, and began barking at me furiously. The noise brought out
several of the men, who came from among the tents, peering at me
cautiously through the darkness.

"`What do you want here?' asked one of them gruffly, calling back the
dogs.

"`Shelter and assistance,' said I.

"`You are not likely to find either one or the other here. We are
moving from hence, and require no strangers.'

"`Lead me to your chief, then, and I w