ction was keen, as became one accustomed to wander
among the hills of the Afghan border, his course had been so erratic
since he left Karnal with the Guides in the morning that he was now
quite at a loss.

There was one risk to be guarded against: the escape of any of the men
in the darkness. If one of them should get away, he might bring the
whole countryside down upon the party. A few minutes' thought sufficed
to settle that problem. As a preliminary, Ahmed made the men hand over
their knives to him; the rest of his device he would put in operation
when the time for starting came.

The party was not unprovided with food. Ahmed had already seen the men
eating chapatis, which they had taken from their wallets, and when he
went up to the palki to acquaint the missy sahib with his purpose he
found her eating some fruit. The zamindar had shown forethought in thus
providing against a possibly prolonged march. Ahmed found it rather
difficult to explain his design to the girl, whose stock of Urdu
extended little further than the ordinary phrases used between masters
and servants. The girl acquiesced in his plan; she was indeed too
frightened, and too anxious to gain a shelter with white people, to be
able to criticize or suggest.

Before it became completely dark, Ahmed collected some long strands of a
creeping plant that grew plentifully in the copse. With these he tied
the bearers two by two together, in such a way that while their
movements in carrying the palki would not be sensibly impeded, any
attempt to take flight would be hopeless. The legs of the two men who
went in front were fastened to those of the two behind, so that when
they set off they would have to keep step. He had never seen a
three-legged race; but if they tried to run away the result would be not
unlike that when two boys insufficiently practised in that sport attempt
to run: one would trip the other. The ends of the strands were so firmly
knotted that they could not be undone easily, and Ahmed would have
plenty of time to catch the men if they were so ill-advised as to bolt.
These preparations having been made--not without sundry complaints and
protests on the part of the men--Ahmed asked them whether they could
find their way to the Delhi road. They eagerly professed that they knew
the way perfectly; they were, in fact, so desirous of getting rid of
this masterful Pathan that they would have agreed to lead him anywhere.
He made them understand that