the possibilities of escape.

They seemed very remote. I was now in a strong town, surrounded by
thousands of people; and, unless Brace came in company with quite a
little army, there was not much prospect of his setting me free. I had
no doubt about Dost tracking me out. After finding me in the tiny camp
in the forest, he would not have much difficulty in tracking me here.

But what to do? How could I hold back? I was certainly growing
stronger every hour, and in spite of my breakdown on the previous night,
I felt that it would be absurd to pretend that I was an invalid.

I could not assume weakness, and I was not going to play a deceitful
part. I should have, I knew, to dare the rajah's anger, for, in spite
of his words, I knew enough of the Hindu race, and had seen enough of
his volcanic character, to feel that he would, sooner or later, change
his manner, and threaten force.

Consequently, I could only come to one conclusion--I must escape, and
the sooner the better. The question was, how could it be done?

I went to the open window and looked out, to find below me the beautiful
court, with its trees, marble tank, and fountain of brilliantly clear
water, in whose depths swam scores of great gold and silver fish, to
which I could not help comparing myself as a fellow-prisoner in bright
armour.

I looked round the court, which was surrounded by handsome erections,
but I did not see a single face at any window. At a gateway, though,
were half a dozen armed men, showing me that the palace was carefully
guarded.

I went to another window, but it gave precisely the same view, except
that I could see partly through the gateway, a place which at once had a
great interest for me, as it might be the only path to liberty.

Salaman entered the room just then, and I asked him if I was at liberty
to go into the next room.

"Oh yes," he replied; "my lord is free to go where he likes. It was not
safe out there on the forest hill. Here he is in a great city,
surrounded by his friends."

"His enemies," I muttered.

"There are five rooms set apart for my lord. Will he come and see?"

I nodded, and followed him from the room in which I had slept, across a
little hall or entry, out of which was the place with tiled floor in
which I had had my bath, and then with a smile he drew back a curtain
and I entered a handsome room, with a divan in the centre, and others
about the walls. Then into another, evidently inte