st week he rode only in the grounds of the
palace; then he ventured beyond, accompanied by Anwar on horseback;
then his two cousins joined the party; and, by the end of the month,
he was perfectly at home on Murad's back.

So far, he had not begun to practise shooting.

"It would be of no use," the Rajah said, when he one day spoke of it.
"You want your nerves in good order for that, and it requires an old
horseman to have his hand steady enough for shooting straight, after a
hard ride. Your rides are not severe for a horseman, but they are
trying for you. Leave the shooting alone, lad. There is no hurry for
it."

By this time, the Rajah had become convinced that it was useless to
try and dissuade either his sister or Dick from attempting the
enterprise for which they had come over. Possibly, the earnest
conviction of the former that her husband was still alive influenced
him to some extent, and the strength and activity of Dick showed him
that he was able to play the part of a man. He said little, but
watched the boy closely, made him go through trials of strength with
some of his troopers, and saw him practise with blunted swords with
others. Dick did well in both trials, and the Rajah then requested
Anwar, who was celebrated for his skill with the tulwar, to give him,
daily, half-an-hour's sword play, after his riding lesson. He himself
undertook to teach him to use the rifle and pistol.

Dick threw himself into his work with great ardour, and in a very
short time could sit any horse in the stable, and came to use a rifle
and pistol with an amount of accuracy that surprised his young
cousins.

"The boy is getting on wonderfully well," the Rajah said one day to
his sister. "His exercises have given him so much nerve, and so steady
a hand, that he already shoots very fairly. I should expect him to
grow up into a fine man, Margaret, were it not that I have the gravest
fears as to this mad enterprise, which I cannot help telling you, both
for your good and his, is, in my opinion, absolutely hopeless."

"I know, Mortiz," she said, "that you think it is folly, on my part,
to cling to hope; and while I do not disguise from myself that there
would seem but small chance that my husband has survived, and that I
can give no reason for my faith in his still being alive, and my
confidence that he will be restored to me some day, I have so firm a
conviction that nothing will shake it. Why should I have such a
confidence, i