o; so that, except that I was a prisoner, and for the thought of
my wife and you, I had really nothing to grumble about, and was indeed
better off than anyone in the fortress, except the officers. So you
see, I just existed, always making up my mind that some day I should
see a good chance of making my escape, but not really making any
preparations towards casting off my moorings.

"Now, Dick, it must be past twelve o'clock, and I am dog tired. How
far have we to ride tomorrow?"

"It is thirty-five miles from Oussoor to Kistnagherry, which will be
far enough for us to go tomorrow, and then another five-and-twenty
will take us down to Tripataly. As the horses have gone about forty
miles, it would be a long journey for them to go right through
tomorrow."

"I don't think I could do it, Dick, if they could. I expect I shall be
stiffer tomorrow than I am now. Eager as I am to see your dear mother,
I don't want to have to be lifted off my horse when I arrive there,
almost speechless with fatigue."

The next day they rode on to Kistnagherry, passing a small frontier
fort without question. They slept at the post house there, Dick and
Surajah having removed their scarves and emblems of rank, as soon as
they passed the frontier, in order to escape all inquiries. They
started next morning at daybreak, and arrived within sight of
Tripataly at ten o'clock.

"Now, Father, I will gallop on," Dick said. "I must break the news to
Mother, before you arrive."

"Certainly, Dick," his father, who had scarcely spoken since they
started, replied. "I have been feeling very anxious about it, all the
morning; for though, as you tell me, she has never lost faith in my
being alive, my return cannot but be a great shock to her."

Dick rode on, and on arriving at the palace was met in the courtyard
by the Rajah, who was on the point of going out on horseback. He
dismounted at once.

"I am truly glad to see you back, Dick, for your mother has been in a
sad state of anxiety about you. Eight days ago, she started up from a
nap she was taking, in the middle of the day, and burst out crying,
saying that she was certain you were in some terrible danger, though
whether you were killed or not she could not say. Since then she has
been in a bad state. She has scarcely closed an eye, and has spent her
whole time in walking restlessly up and down."

"It is quite true that I was in great danger, Uncle, and I am sorry
indeed that she is in this state