Part 41 (2/2)

”I am ashamed at sleeping so long,” she said.

”We were glad to find that you did,” d.i.c.k replied. ”If you went to sleep soon after I brought you the broth, you have had ten hours of it, and ought to feel all the better.”

”I do,” she said. ”I am very stiff, but not so stiff as I was yesterday morning. How you are both altered!”

”Yes. It would never have done to have gone on in our gay dresses, and Tippoo's badges. These are the clothes we came up in, and we shall attract no attention whatever. You won't have to ride far, today. It will be as well for you to keep to your own horse, until we have pa.s.sed through Ryacotta, which is not much more than half a mile away.

After that, you must sit on this pad I have fastened behind my saddle.

You can sit sideways, you know, and put your arm around me, just as ladies used to ride in England, a couple of hundred years ago.”

As soon as they had eaten something they started, and rode at a good pace to the little town. People looked at them somewhat curiously as they pa.s.sed through the street, wondering that they should have come from Mysore; but as they did not halt, no one asked any questions. The population were, at present, a good deal divided. The great majority by no means regretted their change of masters. Some of the Mohammedans had left, when the place was taken over by the English, and had crossed into Mysore. Others had remained, and hoped that, ere long, Tippoo would drive back the British, and regain his former dominions.

Before mounting, the rich housings and the silver work on the bridles had been removed, and hidden among the rugs, and there was nothing beyond the excellence of two of the horses, and the direction from which they came, to attract attention.

When well beyond the town, they halted. The saddlebags were all packed upon Annie's horse. d.i.c.k lifted the girl on to the pad behind his saddle, and then mounted.

”Now hold tight by me,” he said, ”and mind, whenever you are tired, we will halt for an hour's rest. We will not go more than twenty miles today, and then it will only be as much more down to Tripataly, tomorrow. We will walk for a bit, until you get quite accustomed to your seat.”

After a while, the horses broke into a gentle canter. For a time, Annie felt very doubtful as to whether she could retain her seat, and so held tight with one arm to d.i.c.k, while with the other hand she kept a firm hold of the crupper. Presently, however, she was able to release her hold of the latter, and it was not long before she was able, honestly, to a.s.sure d.i.c.k that she felt quite comfortable, and had no fear of falling off.

In two hours they pa.s.sed near the hill on which stood the fortress of Kistnagherry, which had successfully resisted the attack of the English, but above which now flew the British flag. Skirting round the foot, they came, in the course of an hour and a half's ride, on to the direct road which they had left at Anicull, in order to avoid pa.s.sing through the town of Oussoor. Here they came upon a large village, and d.i.c.k found no difficulty in hiring a light native cart to take Annie, who was, as he felt by the relaxation of her hold, unable to proceed farther on horseback, or continue straight through to Tripataly.

A thick layer of straw was placed at the bottom of the cart, a couple of rugs spread over it, and on this Annie was enabled to lie down at her ease. The horses were fed and watered, and had an hour's rest, and then they started for the last twenty miles of their journey.

Annie had, while the horses were resting, a chat with a native woman, and had gone into her house with her. When they were ready for the start, she returned, dressed in the costume she had worn in the Palace. It had originally been intended to get rid of the clothes, after starting, but Annie had asked for them to be taken on.

”I can change again, before I get to Tripataly,” she said. ”I should not like to appear before your mother, for the first time, dressed as a boy.”

And d.i.c.k had at once fallen in with her wishes.

The turban was gone, and her head was covered in the fas.h.i.+on of native women, with a long cotton cloth of a deep red colour.

Where the road was good, the cart proceeded at a fair pace, but in the pa.s.s down the ghauts they could go only at a walk, and the sun had set before they reached Tripataly. d.i.c.k, seeing that Annie was growing very nervous, as they neared their destination, had ridden all the way by the side of the cart, chatting cheerfully with her.

”Why, Annie,” he said, ”you look as solemn as if you were just going into slavery, instead of having escaped from it.”

”It is not that I feel solemn, d.i.c.k. It is that everything is so new and strange. Of course, after your saving my life, I have never felt that you were a stranger, and as long as there were only you and Surajah, I did not mind, and I have felt quite at home with you. But now that I am going to a new place, where I don't know anyone, I can't help feeling desolate.”

”You will feel quite as much at home with them, in twenty-four hours, as you have done with me, Annie. You are tired now, and quite worn out with your journey, and so you take a gloomy view of things. I will guarantee that, before I go away again, you will be good friends with everyone, and will wonder how you could have thought it to be anything dreadful to come among them.”

When they got within a mile of Tripataly, d.i.c.k said:

”Now I will ride on ahead, Annie, and prepare my mother for your coming. It will be pleasant to have no questions or explanations when you arrive, and I am sure she will carry you straight off to bed, and keep you there, until you have quite got over the effects of your journey.”

He did not wait to hear Annie's faint protest against his leaving her, but telling Surajah to take his place beside the cart, and to keep talking to the girl, he galloped on ahead. He sprang from his horse in the courtyard, threw the reins to a servant, and ran in. The party had just sat down to their evening meal, and as he entered he was greeted by exclamations of astonishment and welcome.

His mother had received two letters, sent through Pertaub by traders going down from Seringapatam. In these he had told her, first, of his arrival and of the adventure with the tiger, and of his obtaining the post in the Palace; and in the second of the non-success that had attended his visits to the hill forts. He had told her that he should probably leave Seringapatam shortly, and continue the search, but that she must not antic.i.p.ate any result, for a long time.

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