"A yell of rage and surprise was heard, and the Dacoits, all desperate
men, came bounding out, firing as they did so. Half of their number were
shot down at once, and the rest, after a short, sharp struggle, were
bound hand and foot.

"That is pretty well all of the story, I think. Sivajee Punt was one of
the killed. The prisoners were all either hung or imprisoned for life. I
escaped my blowing-up for having gone down the Ghauts after the bear,
because, after all, Sivajee Punt might have defied their force for
months had I not done so.

"It seemed that that scoundrel Rahman had taken back word that I was
killed. Norworthy had sent down a strong party, who found the two dead
bears, and who, having searched everywhere without finding any signs of
my body, came to the conclusion that I had been found and carried away,
especially as they ascertained that natives used that path. They had
offered rewards, but nothing was heard of me till my note saying I was
in Sivajee's hands arrived."

"And did you ever see the women who carried you off?"

"No, Mary, I never saw them again. I did, however, after immense
trouble, succeed in finding out where it was that I had been taken to. I
went down at once, but found the village deserted. Then after much
inquiry I found where the people had moved to, and sent messages to the
women to come up to the camp, but they never came; and I was reduced at
last to sending them down two sets of silver bracelets, necklaces, and
bangles, which must have rendered them the envy of all the women on the
Ghauts. They sent back a message of grateful thanks, and I never heard