rds, Murad,"
he said; "the first thing is to see what had best be done. What has
happened since I landed, Wilson?"

"Our boat was pretty nearly cut in two," Wilson said, "and was sinking
when I jumped over; the other boat has been rowed ashore."

"What did you hear, Wilson?"

"I heard the women scream," Wilson said reluctantly, "and five or six
shots were fired. There has been no sound since then."

Bathurst stood silent for a minute.

"I do not think they will have killed the women," he said; "they did not
do so at Cawnpore. They will take them there. No doubt they killed the
men. Let me think for a moment. Now," he said after a long pause, "we
must be doing. Murad, your father and friends have given their word for
the safety of those you took prisoners; that they have been massacred
is no fault of your father or of you. This gentleman and myself are the
only ones saved, as far as we know. Are you sure that none others came
ashore?"

"The others were all killed, we alone remaining," Murad said. "I will go
back to my father, and he will go to Cawnpore and demand vengeance."

"You can do that afterwards, Murad; the first thing is to fulfill
your promise, and I charge you to take this sahib in safety down to
Allahabad. You must push on at once, for they may be sending out from
Cawnpore at daylight to search the bushes here to see if any have
escaped. You must go on with him tonight as far as you can, and in the
morning enter some village, buy native clothes, and disguise him, and
then journey on to Allahabad."

"I will do that," the young Rajah said; "but what about yourself?"

"I shall go into Cawnpore and try to rescue any they may have taken.
I have a native cloth round me under my other clothes, as I thought it
might be necessary for me to land before we got to Cawnpore to see if
danger threatened us. So I have everything I want for a disguise about
me."

"What are you saying, Bathurst?" Wilson asked.

"I am arranging for Murad and his follower to take you down to
Allahabad, Wilson. I shall stop at Cawnpore."

"Stop at Cawnpore! Are you mad, Bathurst?"

"No, I am not mad. I shall stop to see if any of the ladies have been
taken prisoners, and if so, try to rescue them. Rujub, the juggler, is
there, and I am confident he will help me."

"But if you can stay, I can, Bathurst. If Miss Hannay has been made
prisoner, I would willingly be killed to rescue her."

"I know you would, Wilson, but you would be