pausing to listen to the barking of a village dog, now making their way
through a thick clump of trees, and at last tramping for hours--that
seemed ages--along the dead flat of the highroad. This at the first faint
dawn of morning they left, and took refuge in a thick grove a quarter of a
mile from the highway. Before throwing themselves down to rest, the girls,
at Ned's earnest request, tried to eat a piece of biscuit, but tried in
vain, they, however, each sipped a little wine from the bottles, and then,
utterly worn out and exhausted, soon forgot their misery in a deep and
heavy sleep.

The sun was upon the point of setting when their companions aroused them,
and they woke up to their sorrows and dangers. The day had passed quietly;
the boys, after both sleeping for some four or five hours, had watched by
turns. No one had approached the wood; but a party of four Sepoys, mounted
on horses, had passed from Sandynugghur; and a larger party had, later in
the afternoon, come along in the other direction. From this the boys
guessed that a successful revolt had also taken place at Nalgwa, the next
station to Sandynugghur.

"Now, girls, the first thing to do is to eat. Here are biscuits for some
days, and the two bottles of wine, which we must be sparing of. Dick and I
have eaten lots of biscuits, and have had some water from a well at a
little distance behind the wood. There was a large gourd lying by it which
we have taken the liberty of borrowing. You can drink some water if you
like, but you must each take a glass of wine. You must keep up your
strength. There is no one in sight, so if you like you can go to the well
and have a wash. Don't be longer than you can help; it would be ruin to be
seen before we have changed our clothes. While you are away washing, Dick
and I will put on our dresses, and when you come back you can do the same.
We can stain our faces and hands afterward."