t I had to rest constantly, and was finally carried rather than helped
up. I had gone not unwillingly, for the men were clearly, by their
dress, Dacoits of the Deccan, and I had no doubt that it was intended
either to ransom or exchange me.

"At the foot of this natural castle were same twenty or thirty more
robbers, and I was led to a rough sort of arbor in which was lying, on a
pile of maize straw, a man who was evidently their chief. He rose and we
exchanged salaams.

"'What is your name, sahib?' he asked in Mahratta.

"'Hastings--Lieutenant Hastings,' I said. 'And yours?'

"'Sivajee Punt!' he said.

"This was bad. I had fallen into the hands of the most troublesome, most
ruthless, and most famous of the Dacoit leaders. Over and over again he
had been hotly chased, but had always managed to get away; and when I
last heard anything of what was going on four or five troops of native
police were scouring the country after him. He gave an order which I did
not understand, and a wretched Bombay writer, I suppose a clerk of some
moneylender, was dragged forward. Sivajee Punt spoke to him for some
time, and the fellow then told me in English that I was to write at
once to the officer commanding the troops, telling him that I was in his
hands, and should be put to death directly he was attacked.

"'Ask him,' I said, 'if he will take any sum of money to let me go?'

"Sivajee shook his head very decidedly.

"A piece of paper was put before me, and a pen and ink, and I wrote as
I had been ordered, adding however, in French, that I had brought myself
into my present position by my own folly, and would take my chance,
for I well knew the importance which government attached to Sivajee's
capture. I read out loud all that I had written in English, and the
interpreter translated it. Then the paper was folded and I addressed it,
'The Officer Commanding,' and I was given some chupattis and a drink of
water, and allowed to sleep. The Dacoits had apparently no fear of any
immediate attack.

"It was still dark, although morning was just breaking, when I was
awakened, and was got up to the citadel. I was hoisted rather than
climbed, two men standing above with a rope, tied round my body, so that
I was half hauled, half pushed up the difficult places, which would have
taxed all my climbing powers had I been in health.

"The height of this mass of rock was about a hundred feet; the top was
fairly flat, with some depressions and r