n almost unbroken flat, save that here and there isolated
masses of rock rose above it. These were extremely steep and
inaccessible, and on their summits were the hill forts that formed so
prominent a feature in the warfare of both Mysore and the Nizam's
dominions to the north. These forts were, for the most part,
considered absolutely impregnable, but the last war with the British
had proved that they were not so, as several of the strongest had been
captured, with comparatively slight loss.

Whenever they passed within a few miles of one of these hill
fortresses, Dick looked at it with anxious eyes; for there, for aught
he knew, his father might be languishing.

After two days' walking across the plain, they felt that there was no
longer any necessity for concealment, except that it would be as well
to avoid an encounter with any troops. Although, therefore, they
avoided the principal roads, they kept along beaten paths, and did not
hesitate to enter villages to buy food.

They no longer saw caste marks on the foreheads of the inhabitants.
The Hindoos had been compelled by force to abandon their religion, all
who refused to do so being put to death at once. Dick and Surajah
found that their dialect differed much more from that of the country
below the ghauts than they had expected and, although they had no
difficulty in conversing with the peasants, they found that their idea
that they would be able to pass as natives of one of these villages
was an altogether erroneous one.

"This will never do, Surajah," Dick said, as they left one of the
villages. "We shall have to alter our story somehow, for the first
person we meet, in Seringapatam, will see that we are not natives of
Mysore. We must give out that we come from some village far down on
the ghauts--one of those which have been handed over to the English by
the new treaty. You know the country well enough there to be able to
answer any questions that may be asked. We must say that, desiring to
be soldiers, and hating the English raj, we have crossed the hills to
take service of some sort in Mysore. This will be natural enough: and
of course there are many Mohammedans down in the plains, especially
among the villages on the ghauts."

"I think that would be best, Purseram."

"There is one comfort," Dick went on. "It is evident that Tippoo is
hated by all the Hindoos. He has forced them to change their religion,
and we need have no fear of being betrayed by any