einik shook his head.

"They are sure to keep a strict guard, over a white officer," he
said; "but if we rushed in and shouted, and fired pistols, they
might all run away."

"I am afraid not, Meinik. There might be a scare for a minute but,
directly they saw that there were only two of us, they would turn
and kill us. Your people are brave enough. They may feel that they
cannot stand against our troops, owing to our discipline; but they
fight bravely hand-to-hand. However, we don't know exactly which
way they have gone; and it would be hopeless to search for them in
the forest, during the darkness.

"What should they go to Toungoo for?"

"I have been thinking it over, master; and it seems to me that many
of them may belong there, or to the villages near. They may not
dare return to their homes, because they are afraid that they would
be punished for having left the army, and would certainly be sent
off again to it. Now they may think that, if they go back with a
white officer and soldier, and tell some story of having beaten a
great many English, they will be rewarded; and may even be able to
remain some time in their homes, before they are sent off; or they
may be ordered to march with their prisoners to Ava, where they
would get still more reward. I can see no other reason for their
carrying off the officer."

"I think very likely that is so, Meinik. Anyhow, we are more likely
to rescue my cousin, at Toungoo, than we should be while on the
road. It would be next to impossible to find them among all the
hills and trees and, even if we did come upon them at night, and
could creep into the midst of them, we might find that my cousin is
too severely wounded to travel for, as there was a fight, it is
almost certain he must have been wounded before he was captured.
Therefore, I think it is best to make straight for Toungoo.

"How many miles is it from here, do you think?"

Meinik went over to the natives and asked the question. "About
forty-five miles, they say; very bad travelling; all mountains, but
ten miles to the north is a road that runs straight there."

"Then we had better follow that, Meinik. In this broken country,
and forest, we should be losing our way continually."

"How will you go, master? On horse or foot?"

"We will go on horseback, as far as we can; we are not likely to
meet people travelling along the road, at present. Another thing is
that, if we can get the horses as near the town as possib