talking
between them and the young women--for they were young--who had carried
me down. Some of the party appeared angry; but at last things quieted
down, and I was carried into the tent. I had fever, and was, I suppose,
delirious for days. I afterwards found that for fully a fortnight I had
lost all consciousness; but a good constitution and the nursing of the
women pulled me round. When once the fever had gone, I began to mend
rapidly. I tried to explain to the women that if they would go up to the
camp and tell them where I was they would be well rewarded; but although
I was sure they understood, they shook their heads, and by the fact that
as I became stronger two or three armed men always hung about the
tent, I came to the conclusion that I was a sort of prisoner. This was
annoying, but did not seem serious. If these people were Dacoits, or, as
was more likely, allies of the Dacoits, I could be kept only for ransom
or exchange. Moreover, I felt sure of my ability to escape when I got
strong, especially as I believed that in the young women who had saved
my life, both by bringing me down and by their careful nursing, I should
find friends."

"Were they pretty, uncle?" Mary Hastings broke in.

"Never mind whether they were pretty, Mary; they were better than
pretty."

"No; but we should like to know, uncle."

"Well, except for the soft, dark eyes, common to the race, and the good
temper and lightheartedness, also so general among Hindu girls, and
the tenderness which women feel towards a creature whose life they have
saved, whether it is a wounded bird or a drowning puppy, I suppose they
were nothing remarkable in the way of beauty, but at the time I know
that I thought them charming."

CHAPTER II

"Just as I was getting strong enough to walk, and was beginning to think
of making my escape, a band of five or six fellows, armed to the teeth,
came in, and made signs that I was to go with them. It was evidently
an arranged thing, the girls only were surprised, but they were at once
turned out, and as we started I could see two crouching figures in the
shade with their cloths over their heads. I had a native garment thrown
over my shoulders, and in five minutes after the arrival of the fellows
found myself on my way. It took us some six hours before we reached our
destination, which was one of those natural rock citadels. Had I been
in my usual health I could have done the distance in an hour and a half,
bu