avalry," I whispered, and then listened as Dost went on.

"I shall lower you down here first," he whispered, "for I think there is
a place to which I can hook on the rope, and draw it down afterward.
Yes; here it is. I found it to-night."

He had been on his knees feeling about, and, evidently satisfied, began
to unwind the rope from my chest.

"Did you make the end quite fast?" he whispered, just as I was wondering
how he had found the window from up here on the roof.

"Yes."

"Don't stop to untie it," he said, "but slip it over your arms and head
as soon as you are down. No; it is long enough; hold it fast till I
join you. I'll pass it round this post and slide down the other end."

"What's that?" I whispered, as a shout arose; and involuntarily we both
crossed the roof again to look.

But we did not look down into the court, but across the fountain in the
centre to where lights shone brightly from three windows opposite, while
at one of them, open, I could see two figures, one of which held up a
shaded lamp above his head, while the other, who I could plainly see was
the rajah, without his voice endorsing the fact, roared forth his
commands to the guards in the court and at the gate--orders which were
followed by hurrying feet, and shouts could be heard, answered in all
directions.

"Rajah--come back--too soon," said Dost, hurriedly. "Quick, sahib."

"But they will be all on the watch."

"So shall we be, sahib," he whispered eagerly, as he pressed me toward
the outer parapet close by the low stone projection. "Quick! Go down."

I was obliged to let him help me over the parapet, so as to get my arm
clear, and then, with the lamps moving about in all directions, and
every now and then meeting and gliding away again, Dost began to lower
me rapidly.

To my horror, when I was some distance down, I could see two lanthorns
approaching, as if their bearers had seen me, and were coming to meet
exactly where I should touch the ground. Dost could not see them,
evidently, and to call to him meant betraying us both, so I gave myself
up for lost. But all at once the rope stopped, and I hung there
motionless, just as a door about ten feet below me opened, and some one
came out.

It was to meet the two lamp-bearers coming in different directions, and
directly after the man from the doorway had stopped, they came up to
him.

"Keep a strict look-out," the man said. "A prisoner is trying to
escape. He must