THE PURSUIT.
That which arrested the eye of Dr. Avery was another crowd, or more
properly the same one. He had been drawn away from his true course,
and in trying to regain it, he came face to face with the wild mob.
Should he be recognized, he would be set upon at once; but with the
coolness of a veteran he sauntered along, keeping in the shadow as
much as he could. Providentially he was soon clear from all danger
from that source.
His heart gave a sympathetic throb when he caught the meaning of
enough of the broken exclamations to learn that the fugitive had
escaped from the throng that had chased him only a short way before
he left them out of sight.
"Luchman gave me this street because it is the most direct one to the
Cashmere Gate, and I am less likely to lose my way, but it seems to
me it has more moonlight and the natives are altogether too
plentiful. I shouldn't wonder now if they are so impatient that they
will not wait for the sepoys to begin their deviltry. I think I will
turn off and take a road where there are not so many neighbors."
He speedily reached such a street, which appeared to run parallel to
the one he had just left, and certainly was much safer. He decided
to keep it as long as he could, and when convinced that he was
following a wrong course, he would make his way back to the main road
that Luchman had directed him to follow.
Dr. Avery had gone perhaps two thirds of the distance to the Cashmere
Gate when he made a terrifying discovery.
The portion of the street into which he had drifted was almost
deserted, and he was wondering whether it might not be one of the
most dangerous parts of the city, when he observed three persons on
the other side of the way. They were less than fifty feet distant,
and the moon was shining full upon them, so they were in plain sight.
They were two natives supporting a female between them, all walking
slowly, while the head of the woman was bowed, and she moaned as if
in pain.
"That is singular," thought Dr. Avery; "she seems to be faint, and
they are supporting her to her home."
Prompted by a natural impulse, he turned and moved toward the trio,
timing his steps so that he was not noticed. He quickly saw that the
woman was holding back, while the escort was drawing her forward.
"That has a bad look," he said, walking faster until he was close
upon them. Then, oblivious of the fact that he was using an unknown
tongue, he called out:
"What are you doing with that woman?"
The natives stopped in a surprised way and stared at him, while the
prisoner raised her head and wailed in a faint voice:
"O Baird, save me from them!"
"My God, Marian! is that you?" he asked, springing forward and
catching her arm.
The natives, in accordance with their cowardly nature, were about to
drop on their knees and beg for mercy, when they had wit enough to
see their opportunity. At the moment the surgeon seized the arm of
the young lady, the trembling wretches slipped noiselessly away. Had
they delayed their departure a single minute, Baird Avery would have
shot both dead.
"How came you here?" he asked, half believing it was all a hideous
dream, until he felt the warm arm of his beloved grasped by his own
strong right hand.
"I can hardly tell you, but it must have been my fault. Luchman
walked quite rapidly, never once looking behind to see whether I was
keeping near him. He had the right to believe that I knew enough to
act my part without any help from him; but at one of the bazars the
crowd was so dense that I was compelled to turn aside. Then, when I
tried to get back, something caused an excitement in front, and I was
forced still further away. By that time I had lost Luchman
altogether. You know that no woman ventures in such a place at night
without her husband, and I was in a sad predicament. With a view of
not drawing unpleasant attention to myself, I tried to keep directly
behind a stranger."
"That ought to have protected you," said her escort.
"So it did for a time, but I was terrified when I found that a couple
of Mohammedans were following me. I started to flee, but they
quickly overtook and made me a prisoner. I pleaded with them and
offered all my jewelry, but they laughed and replied that they would
soon have it any way. I dared not shriek, for that would have
brought others around me, and made my danger tenfold worse."
"But where was that pistol of yours?" asked the doctor, drawing her
arm within his own. "Why was it loaded with such care, and stowed
away in the recesses of your dress?"
"Would you believe that I forgot I had it until after they grasped my
arm so tightly that I could not get hold of it?"
"Such forgetfulness cannot happen again; but we shall be a long time
getting out of the city at this rate. How far are we from the
Cashmere gate?"
"About half a mile."
"Do you know the way?"
"Perfectly; if the moon was not so bright we would go straight to it,
but the whole city is out of doors and we must pick our path. I
wonder whether father and mother have had any trouble."
"We can only hope that they have not. What course are you
following?" asked Avery a minute later, when they turned into a still
narrower street. "If they keep on contracting in this fashion we
shall find ourselves caught like the Man in the Iron Mask."
"I am trying to get away from the crowds of people, but they seem to
be everywhere."
"Helloa! What does that mean?"
Avery stopped short, drawing his pistol and looking behind him.
Marian knew more about the people than he did. She understood the
significance of that horrible cry.
"Quick, Baird! We have no time to lose.
"But tell me," he added, moving on again, "what is the meaning of
those cries?"
"They are those of the natives who have come upon the dead body of
one of their number. It may be that of one who had been pursuing the
Englishman you told me about, or it may be one who was killed by an
enemy of his own race; but many of them lay his death to the door of
the English."
"But they know nothing about us----"
"See!" whispered Marian, catching his arm with a nervous start; "they
have discovered us, and are running this way."
Avery saw that his companion spoke the truth. Direct flight was out
of the question, for the natives could speedily overtake them. The
two walked rapidly, and at the first cross street made a short turn
to the right in the hope of getting beyond sight before their enemies
could see them again.