e
front.

He took the clothes up to his room, and hid them under the pallet.
Then, having ascertained that the women were still engaged in
talking, he took off his boots and made his way down to the lowest
story, which was principally used as a storehouse. Here, among bags
of corn and other stores, he saw a coil of rope. This he carried
upstairs and, having hidden it, lay down again.

The rest of the day passed quietly. It was apparent that the
clothes had not been missed and, with a strong feeling of
hopefulness, he awaited the night. When the house was quiet he
looked out. Four men were sitting, as usual, at the front of the
door. Then he took off his uniform and put on his disguise,
fastened one end of the rope securely, and slid down noiselessly to
the ground.

Keeping the house between him and the guard, he started. Making a
detour, he got free of the village, and then turned to the upper
end of the valley. Half an hour's walking took him to where the
force had encamped, and he soon reached the mouth of the gorge.

Here he plunged into the river. His leg hurt him a good deal, but
he waded on and, after great exertions, reached the head of the
gorge. His leg was now hurting him so much that he could proceed no
farther so, turning off, he mounted the hills and lay down among
the rocks, where there was little chance of his being discovered.

Here he dozed till morning. When he took the rope, he had thrust
several handfuls of grain into his pocket; and this he had tied up
in the skirt of his garment, when he started. He now munched some
of it, and lay, watching the mouth of the gorge below.

Two hours after daybreak, he saw a small party of tribesmen come
hurrying up through the gorge. They did not stop, but kept on their
course, evidently supposing that he had pushed on to join the
British camp. All day he lay hidden and, before dark, he saw the
men come back again. They had evidently given up the chase and, as
he had seen no searchers upon the hills, the idea that he was
hiding had evidently not occurred to them.

He felt, however, that he must give his leg another day's rest
before proceeding. On the following day he suffered a good deal
from thirst, and dared not venture down to the river. When it was
dark, however, he continued his way.

Illustration: It was the dead body of an Afridi.

Presently he saw something white, huddled up behind a rock and,
climbing up, he found that it was the dead body of a