ring of the hole, a voice
came from below.

"Is that you, Bathurst?"

"All right, Doctor."

"Heaven be praised! You are back sooner than I expected, by a long way.
I heard voices talking, so I doubted whether it was you."

"The ladder is still there, I suppose, Doctor?"

"Yes; it is just as you got off it. What are you going to do about the
hole?"

"Rujub is here; he will cover it up after me."

"Then you were right," the Doctor said, as Bathurst stepped down beside
him; "and you found the juggler really waiting for you?"

"At the bungalow, Doctor, as I expected."

"And what have you done? You can hardly have seen Por Sing; it is not
much over an hour since you left."

"I have seen him, Doctor; and what is more, he has pledged his word for
our safety."

"Thank God for that, lad; it is more than I expected. This will be news
indeed for the poor women. And do you think he will be strong enough to
keep his pledge?"

"I think so; he asked me to wait until tomorrow afternoon before going
out with a flag of truce, and said that by that time he would get the
other Zemindars to stand by him, and would make terms whether the Sepoys
liked it or not."

"Well, you shall tell us all about it afterwards, Bathurst; let us take
the news in to them at once; it is long since they had good tidings
of any kind; it would be cruel to keep them in suspense, even for five
minutes."

There was no noisy outburst of joy when the news was told. Three weeks
before it would have been received with the liveliest satisfaction, but
now the bitterness of death was well nigh past; half the children lay
in their graves in the garden, scarce one of the ladies but had lost
husband or child, and while women murmured "Thank God!" as they clasped
their children to them, the tears ran down as they thought how different
it would have been had the news come sooner. The men, although equally
quiet, yet showed more outward satisfaction than the women. Warm grasps
of the hands were exchanged by those who had fought side by side
during these terrible days, and a load seemed lifted at once off their
shoulders.

Bathurst stayed but a moment in the room after this news was told, but
went in with Dr. Wade to the Major, and reported to him in full the
conversation that had taken place between himself and Por Sing.

"I think you are right, Bathurst; if the Oude men hold together, the
Sepoys will scarcely risk a breach with them. Whether he will be abl