"I would rather not go."
"Why?" he asked, with a quick, suspicious look.
"Because I am not strong yet, and the sun is hot."
"It will give you strength," he said quietly. "You have stayed in till
you are fretful, and dislike going out. As soon as we are started, you
will be glad."
I felt that it was useless to oppose him, and said no more. In fact, I
had no time, for he turned to me with a smile.
"I meant it quite as a surprise for you," he said; "and I have given all
the men a rest from duty to-day, so that I am free. There, get your
puggaree; the elephants are waiting, and the guns are in the howdahs."
I obeyed him with beating heart, and stood ready before him the next
minute, wondering whether an attack would be made in our absence, and if
there was, what Ny Deen would do. If he fled, I felt that he would take
me with him, and that there would be another weary time before Dost
could find me out.
"But no," I said; "he will not go. He will hurry back to lead his
people. He has too much at stake to flee."
"Well," he said, "are you counting the tigers?"
I started back into the present, and followed him out through chamber
after chamber, and along passages till we descended into a court
something like the one upon which I looked down, but larger; and here I
found three elephants, a strong party of horsemen, and two little
bullock-waggons, in which were a couple of hunting leopards, each
carefully chained, and with its attendant.
In spite of my excitement, I looked with some little curiosity on the
two long-legged graceful-looking spotted creatures, each with a peculiar
far-off look in its eyes, as if it were trying to pierce the walls and
catch sight of the antelopes it was to chase.
Ny Deen saw my look, and smiled.
"The tiger may have gone," he said. "If he has, we'll hunt for the
deer."
He pointed to his elephant, and signed to me to mount the great kneeling
creature, which was fitted with quite a plain howdah, open, and suitable
for the purpose in hand. As I took my place, I found that there were
two double rifles on either side, and as soon as the rajah had mounted,
a quick-looking beater climbed up behind us, to kneel behind our seats.
The other elephants were made to kneel as we moved onward a few paces,
and four of the rajah's followers climbed into the howdahs. Then the
word was given, six horsemen rode to the gate as advance-guard, and we
were following toward the entrance, when the rajah turned to me with a
grave smile.
"You _are_ better," he said reproachfully. "Come, we will not even
think of military matters to-day, but make it all pleasure."
He had hardly finished the words when I saw him give a quick look and
seize one of the guns, for the six horsemen had suddenly ridden back, to
make for the rajah's elephant, followed by a mounted sowar, who passed
between them as they opened out, and came close up to the side of the
elephant.
"Well?" cried the rajah, fiercely, and speaking in Hindustani. "News?"
My heart gave a bound as the sowar announced the approach of the enemy,
and I glanced at Ny Deen, in whose face I saw astonishment and disbelief
for the moment. But it was only for the moment. Directly after, he
gave several orders in a quick, decisive manner, and the officer to whom
he spoke dashed off to obey his instructions.
Then he turned to me. "You heard?" he said.