creased with every step.

"Let's look down into that great court again, Dost," I said softly.
"There may be a part that is not watched."

We looked over, and Dost drew back shaking his head.

"No, sahib," he said; "we have done that twice. Once I hung down over
the guards' heads. We must not try again. It might mean death."

He was quite right, and I remained silent for a few moments. He spoke
at last.

"If we could only get among the houses, sahib," he said, "and walked
quietly--you like that, I like this. No one would speak to us. Come,
we must try the garden again."

It seemed to be the only way, and I followed him down from the roof to
the first floor, and then down to the bottom, where our position was
very precarious, for the men outside had only to reach up to the
windows, raise their torches, and gaze in to see us in one or other of
the great rooms.

But as they had thoroughly searched the place, this was not done, and we
reached the door in safety, and stood looking out into the extensive
grounds, with their walks, great trees, and clumps of shrubs.

The place seemed to be just the same as before; intensely dark,
surrounded as it was by high buildings, and the moving lanthorns looked
in the distance like sparks in tinder, gliding here and there.

"Where shall we make for, Dost?" I said.

"The big house in the corner, sahib," he whispered back. "It is close
to the river; but we may be able to get through there, and into a part
not watched. If we cannot get away then, we must wait till morning."

I could do nothing but obey, and following him closely, we began our
dangerous walk through the great gardens, always on the point of being
seen by one of the guards; but, thanks to the darkness, and the effect
the lights had on the men's own eyes, escaping, though often enough it
was by the merest chance.

We had passed about half-way toward the building at the right-hand
corner, its lights in the windows acting as our guide, and were
crouching down among some bushes while a couple of the guards went by,
when, all at once, there was a light flashed up from behind us, one
which grew brighter every moment, and, looking back, we made out that
the men we had seen were coming into the grounds through the great
summer-house, and were spreading across, evidently to thoroughly search
the grounds again.

Dost uttered a low murmur of dismay, as, by the distribution of the
lights, he saw that there was to