sternly. "You would have escaped,
perhaps, to the wild country or the forest to starve, or to be killed by
the wild beasts. No one would give you food, and you would scarcely
have found one who would not have sought to slay you as an enemy. You
say you would, have fled to your friends. Where are they?"

"You should know best," I said sullenly. "You have been fighting with
them."

"Yes," he cried, with his eyes flashing. "I have been fighting with
enemies of my country. I have nothing to hide from you. I will tell
you all, so that you may know, and see how mad it is for you to fight
against the decrees of fate. Yes, I fought with those you call your
friends to-day, and drove them before me till after sundown. My men are
following them now to complete the pursuit, scattering them like dead
leaves before the blast which heralds the monsoon. You heard the
firing?"

"Yes," I said sadly.

"And know that it grew more distant as they were beaten off, till they
turned and fled. I came back then. I cannot fight with flying foes.
It was a mad attempt, a last desperate struggle, just a little flashing
up of an expiring fire. By now it is dead, and you will hear of them no
more."

We both sprang to our feet, for, as he spoke, there was a crashing
volley not far away--a volley such as would be fired only by
well-drilled troops--and directly after there was another, followed by a
scattered firing, and shouts rising up to a perfect roar.

Ny Deen, who looked astounded, made for the door, and in my excitement I
followed him; but he thrust me back, and turned to the guard standing
beyond the hangings.

"Your lives for his!" he thundered to them. "He does not leave this
place."

The curtain was thrown between us, and I ran to the open window, to find
the court full of troops hurrying here and there, while lights were
flashing, and in the midst of the excitement the rattle of distant
musketry was on the increase.

"Crushed--scattered--where are my friends?" I said aloud. "Why, they
are here. It is an attack upon the town!"

I felt a little doubt as soon as I had uttered these words; but the
longer I listened the more convinced I felt that this must be a
surprise, and by degrees matters took their shape in my mind, thus
accounting for the apparent ease with which the rajah had scattered his
enemies.

"It has all been a ruse--a piece of strategy," I thought. "They have
retreated, and drawn Ny Deen's men ri