e gradual, and could be descended
without the least difficulty, even in the dark.

"There! Do you see, Surajah? The water course runs along by the side
of the road. There is a little water in it now. You know we used to
meet with it, down below, and water our horses at a pool close to that
ruined village. When we start, we can follow the road until we get
close to the fort, and then crawl along in the water course, and take
our chances. If we should find it so blocked up that we can't get
through, we must then see how we can get past the place in some other
way. If the gate is only barred, no doubt we should be able to
overpower the sentry, and get the gate open before any alarm is given.
If it is locked, we must do the best we can. We may calculate upon
taking the sentry by surprise, as we did in the prison, and on
silencing him at once; then we should have time to break up some
cartridges, and pour the powder into the keyhole, which is sure to be
a big one, make a slow match, and blow the lock open. We could make
the slow match before we start, if we had some water."

"Shall I go down to the stream, and get some?"

"You have nothing to carry it up in, Surajah; and besides, someone
might come along the valley."

"We shall only want a little water. I will take off my sash, and dip
it in the stream; that will give us plenty, when it is wrung out."

"At any rate, Surajah, we will do nothing until it is getting dusk.
See! There are some peasants, with three bullocks, coming down the
valley, and there are four armed horsemen riding behind them. We will
go back to those bushes, a hundred yards behind us, and sleep there
until sunset; then we will make our way down to that heap of boulders
close to the stream, manufacture our slow match, and hide up there
until it is time to start. We want a rest, badly. We did not sleep
last night, and if we get through, we must push on tonight without a
stop, so we must have a good sleep, now."

The sun was low when they woke. They watched it dip below the hills,
and then, after waiting until it began to get dusk, started for the
valley. No one was to be seen on the road, and they ran rapidly down
the slope, until they reached the heap of boulders. Surajah tore off a
strip of cotton, six inches long by an inch wide, from the bottom of
his dress, went forward to the stream, and wetted it. When he came
back, they squeezed the moisture from it, broke up a cartridge, rubbed
the powder in