fter the sahib, he would surely die."

At this moment Stanley felt a hand roughly placed on his shoulder.
Turning round, he struck out with all his strength, full in a man's
face, and he fell like a log.

"If they ask you who was here," he said hastily to the trooper,
"say that you know not who it was. A Burmese came and spoke to you,
but of course you thought that he was one of the guard."

Then he ran to the rope, climbed up and, as he got over, pulled it
up and threw it down to Meinik--as he thought that there might be
some difficulty in shaking it off from the bamboo--then he dropped
to the ground, bringing down the pad with him.

"Did you kill him, master?" Meinik asked, as they hurried away. "I
was watching the window, and saw you talking to someone inside;
then I saw a man suddenly come into the light and put his hand upon
you, and saw you turn round, and he fell without a sound being
heard."

"There is no fear of his being killed, Meinik. I simply hit him
hard; and he went down, I have no doubt, stunned. It is unfortunate
but, though they may set extra guards for a time, I think they will
not believe the man's story; or at any rate, will suppose that it
was only one of the guard who, not being able to sleep, wandered
round there and looked into the hut from behind. The worst of it is
that I am afraid that there is no chance of my being able to take
my cousin some limes and other fruit, tomorrow night, as I said I
would. He is very ill, and quite unconscious."

"That is very bad, master. I will try and take him in some fruit,
tomorrow. If they won't let me in, I will watch outside the gates
and, when one of the guard comes out, will take him aside; and I
have no doubt that, for a small bribe, he will carry in the fruit
and give it to the trooper. I wonder that they put them into that
hut with the window at the back."

"I don't suppose they would have done so, if my cousin had not been
so ill that it was evident that he could not, for some time,
attempt to escape."

They joined the villagers outside the town and, telling them that
there was nothing to do that night, returned to the temple. They
found the man and the two boys, sitting by a great fire, but
shivering with terror.

"What is the matter?" Stanley asked.

"The spirits have been making all sorts of noises outside, and
there are other noises at the end of the cave, close to the
horses."

Stanley took a brand and went over to them. They were