e rajah could
walk abroad without hazard of being recognised. They first, however,
made a circuit of the whole palace; but not a human being was found
alive. Before quitting it altogether, Reginald hurried back to the
wounded sepoy, whom he was unwilling to leave to perish, as he
undoubtedly would if deserted. The man had somewhat recovered his
strength, and thought that, with Reginald's assistance, he might be able
to walk a short distance.

"You need not do that," said Reginald; "your weight is not great, and I
will carry you on my shoulders."

"No, no, sahib," said the sepoy, who had from the first recognised
Reginald in spite of his disguise; "should we encounter any of the
rajah's enemies, they would kill you as well as me; but if you will take
me to the stables--should the rebels not have carried off the horses, I
might contrive to sit one, and either make my escape out of the city, or
reach the house of some friends near this who will give me shelter."

"I will gladly carry you to the stables," said Reginald; and it at once
occurred to him that if he and the rajah could obtain steeds for
themselves they might make a dash through the gates, or, should their
friends arrive, they would be able to join them and encounter Mukund
Bhim and his followers, who were certain not to be far off. Taking the
wounded man up on his shoulder, therefore, he staggered with him along
the passages, and down the steps in the rear of the palace which led to
the courtyard, in the further part of which the stables were situated.
The rajah went ahead with his sword drawn, thinking it probable that
plunderers might be lurking about; but no one was met with. The whole
palace, for some unaccountable reason, was entirely deserted. The sepoy
had expressed a hope that the horses had been left in the stables, or
Reginald would not have expected to find any there. It seemed more
probable that the rebels would have carried them off. Should such be
found to be the case, he scarcely knew what he should do with the
wounded sepoy. It was with no little difficulty that he managed to
convey him even the comparatively short distance he had gone, and he
felt that it would be impossible to carry him beyond the palace to the
house of the friends he spoke of; he should therefore be compelled to
leave him in the stables, where he might die of starvation, unless
discovered by any compassionate person who could bring him food.

The man seemed to div