late camp. To-morrow we will get near the river, hide all next day, and cross after nightfall. There is a clump of trees; we will pass the night there; I think we are safe enough now. The mutineers are too anxious to be at Delhi to spend much time in looking for us. Now, first of all, let us get a fire."
"We have never had a fire at night," Dick said, "since we started; we have been too much afraid of being seen."
"There is not much chance of its being observed in a wood; especially if the bushes are thick. We are four miles at least from the camp, and we are all wet through with dew. Now for sticks."
The whole party soon collected a pile of sticks, and the major was about to scatter some powder among the dead leaves, when Ned said: "We have matches, father."
"Oh, that's all right, Ned, There we are, fairly alight. Yes, we have chosen the place well; there are bushes all around. Now," he said, when the fire had burned up brightly, "let us hear the full story of what has passed; you gave us a short account when we first got free. Now let us hear all about it."
Ned and Dick told the story—sometimes one taking it up, sometimes the other. There were many questions from their auditors, and expressions of warm approval of their conduct; and Captain Dunlop threatened under his breath that if he ever had a chance he would not leave one cake of mud upon another in the village where Kate was wounded. He and Captan Manners proposed that they should go back and afford what protection they could to the girls. But Major Warrener at once negatived this idea.
"If they would come straight back with us I should say yes," he said, "for with us five we might hope to get them through safely; but even that would be very risky,
