ch
he bound his merchandise to the camel. But to what could he attach the
rope if he gained the wall safely? At any spot sufficiently quiet and
secluded for him to make the attempt there was scarcely likely to be
anything in the way of a staple or ring. Clearly he must provide himself
with something that would serve his purpose in case of necessity. Taking
advantage of his nightly visit to the stable to look after his camel, he
got a stout lathi and sharpened the end of it into the form of a stake.
Then he prepared a slip-knot at the end of the rope, wound the rope
about his body under his outer garment, and, returning to the inn, gave
his host a courteous "salaam aleikam!" and set off in the direction of
the Kashmir gate.

He passed through the Koriapul bazar, which was filled with a motley
throng of people of the trading classes, eagerly discussing the events
of the day and the strong measures likely to follow upon the arrival of
Bakht Khan. Ahmed ventured to delay for a few minutes in order to get an
inkling of the general feeling of the people. Many were as confident of
the ultimate success of the rebels as the sepoys themselves; but some of
the older men, while as fervently desiring the crushing of the English
as the rest, quietly dropped in words of caution and doubt. One of them
said that he had heard from a servant of Ahsanullah, the king's
physician, that that crafty old fox had foretold the doom of the city,
and was suspected to be making provision for that fatal day.

Ahmed passed on. But instead of striking into the Nasirganj Road, which
would bring him direct to the Kashmir gate and the main guard, he made
his way by quiet and tortuous lanes, among the gardens of some of the
principal residents, towards a point about half-way between the Kashmir
gate and the Mori bastion. He was aware that, besides the heavy guns at
the bastions, there were light guns along the whole of this part of the
wall; but these could only be effectively used if the besiegers
approached the city, and were, perhaps, hardly likely to be manned in
force now. But when he came near enough to see them, he saw also that
the gunners were on duty beside the guns, huddled together--the night
was damp and chilly--and most of them, to all appearance, asleep. Now
and then, however, he heard voices from these little knots of men; it
behoved him to go warily. He passed along, keeping in shadow, until he
reached a part of the wall where all was qui