saying, "Thank God, I feel clean again; I have had the horrors for the
last three days, Dick."

In the three nights' journey the boys had traveled a hundred and eleven
miles, and were now close to Ferruckabad, a town of considerable size.
They pursued their usual tactics--entered it after dusk, and sat down near
the outskirts. The signal calls were answered as before, and a number of
the faithful gathered round with their simple offerings of food.

As they began stating their grievances, Ned as usual warned them off with
a brief "to-morrow" when he saw outside the group of Hindoos two or three
Mussulman troopers.

These moved closely up, and contemplated the wild-looking fakir, with his
tangled hair and his eyes peering out through the tangle. One of them
looked at the bear for some time attentively, and then said:

"That is no bear; it is a man in a bear's skin."

Ned had feared that the discovery might be made, and had from the first
had his answer ready.

"Fool," he said in a loud, harsh voice, "who with his eyes in his head
supposed that it was a bear? It is one who has sinned and is under a vow.
Dogs like you know naught of these things, but the followers of Siva
know."

"Do you call me a dog?" said the Mussulman angrily, and strode forward as
if to strike; but Ned leaped to his feet, and twirling his staff round his
head, brought it down with such force on the soldier's wrist that it