n with him."

The desire brought with it a despondent feeling and weary loneliness. I
was very weak and miserable, thinking that perhaps I should never grow
strong again, never mount my beautiful horse as of old. And then I fell
a wondering for the first time in my life at myself; thinking what a
weak, helpless creature a human being was, if he received a wound, for
there seemed to be little reason for my long illness. I had had a blow
on the head, and a cut on the arm--that was all. It never occurred to
me then that my injuries were such as would have killed many men, and
that it was my youth and vigorous health alone which had enabled me to
bear all I had gone through.

The morning broke dull and lowering. My spirits were quite in the same
key, and I trembled when I first encountered Salaman, looking at him
sharply, to see if his eyes told tales of any particular excitement.

And they did; there was no mistaking their import; he was evidently in
high glee, and that, I felt, could only mean one thing--the discovery
and making prisoner of poor Dost, whose fate must be sealed.

But still Salaman made no communication; he only busied himself about
his work, waiting on me, seeing to my tent, and then adjusting the sling
for my wounded arm.

My breakfast was ready beneath the tree; and I walked to it feeling
certainly stronger, while every day I passed I could not help noticing
how beautifully clean and well prepared everything was, and how pleasant
the life beneath the tent would have been, if my mind had only been at
peace.

Salaman waited upon me with more than his usual ease, and twice over I
saw him smiling, as if with greater satisfaction than ever; but still he
did not speak, but appeared to avoid my eye, till I could bear it no
longer. Feeling that something had occurred--a something which could
only mean the discovery of Dost, and the credit he would get with the
rajah--I at last asked him sharply what he was laughing at.

"I have good news for my lord," he said eagerly; and to me his manner
seemed to be full of sneering triumph.

"Well, what is it?" I said huskily.

"The holy man has gone?"

"To prison!" I exclaimed involuntarily, for that was my first thought.

"Oh no, my lord; away upon his long journey."

"Dead!" I ejaculated.

Salaman looked at me wonderingly.

"Oh no, my Lord; that kind of old man very seldom dies. They live on
and on and on, they are so hard and strange. I have se