d seek to visit upon them and
theirs the horrors that had elsewhere befallen the British.

I used often to think, too, that Captain Dyer had some such feelings as
mine, for he looked very, very serious and anxious, and he'd spend hours
on the roof with his glass, Miss Ross often being by his side, while
Lieutenant Leigh used to watch them in a strange way, when he thought no
one was observing him.

I've often thought that when people are touched with that queer
complaint folks call love, they get into a curious half-delirious way,
that makes them fancy that people are nearly blind, and have their eyes
shut to what they do or say. I fancy there was something of this kind
with Miss Ross, and I'm sure there was with me when I used to go hanging
about, trying to get a word with Lizzy; and, of course, shut up as we
all were then, often having the chance, but getting seldom anything but
a few cold answers, and a sort of show of fear of me whenever I was near
to her.

But what troubled me as much as anything was the behaviour of the four
Indians we had shut up with us--Chunder Chow, the old black nurse, and
two more--for they grew more uppish and bounceable every day, refusing
to work, until Captain Dyer had one of the men tied up to the triangles
and flogged down in a great cellar or vault-place that there was under
the north end of the palace, so that the ladies and women shouldn't hear
his cries. He deserved all he got, as I can answer for, and that made
the rest a little more civil, but not for long and, just the day before
something happened, I took the liberty of saluting Captain Dyer, after
he had been giving me some orders, and took that chance of speaking my
mind.

"Captain," I says, "I don't think those black folks are to be trusted."

"Neither do I, Smith," he says. "But what have you to tell me?"

"Nothing at all, captain, only that I have my eye on them; and I've been
thinking that they must somehow or another have held communication
outside; and I don't like it, for those people don't get what we call
cheeky without cause."

"Keep both eyes on them then, Smith," says Captain Dyer, smiling, "and,
no matter what it is--if it is the most trivial thing in any way
connected with them, report it."

"I will, sir," I says; and the very next day, much against the grain, I
did have something to report.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER NINE.

The next morning was hotter, I think, than ever, with no prospect either
of