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"The rain was still falling steadily, for it was just the beginning of the wet season Brown, heavy clouds were drifting across the sky, and it was hard to see more than a stone-cast A deep moat lay in front of our door, but the water was in places nearly dried up, and it could easily be crossed It was strange tofor the ht the glint of a shaded lantern at the other side of the ain co slowly in our direction

"'Here they are!' I exclaie him, Sahib, as usual,' whispered Abdullah 'Give him no cause for fear Send us in with hiuard Have the lantern ready to uncover, that we ht had flickered onwards, now stopping and now advancing, until I could see two dark figures upon the other side of the h the ed theoes there?' said I, in a subdued voice

"'Friends,' caht upon them The first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard which swept nearly down to his cummerbund Outside of a show I have never seen so tall a reat yellow turban, and a bundle in his hand, done up in a shawl He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear, for his hands twitched as if he had the ague, and his head kept turning to left and right with two bright little twinkling eyes, like a ave ht of the treasure, and my heart set as hard as a flint within ave a little chirrup of joy and ca up towards me

"'Your protection, Sahib,' he panted,--'your protection for the unhappy ht seek the shelter of the fort at Agra I have been robbed and beaten and abused because I have been the friend of the Coht this when I am once more in safety,--I and my poor possessions'