"That I shall, my friend," said he, "when I dare show myself," and so saying he shut the curtains. Bhudrinath and I rode on some time in silence: at last we reached a rising ground, which apparently led down to the bed of a river, for I thought I saw the water glistening in the moon's rays. The jungle was thicker than before, and I involuntarily turned to Bhudrinath. "Surely this is the spot," cried I; "we must wait for the cart," for we had preceded it a long way. "We had better do so," he replied; "it will soon be up." We had just heard the rumbling sound of the wheels, when the man I had sent on with it came up to us. "What news?" I asked; "is all prepared?" "By this time it is," said the man; "when I met the first scout I returned to tell you: they have fixed on a beautiful spot, and I doubt not that the band are waiting for you, having done their share of the night's adventure." "Well," said I, "we don't want you here, so go on again." But he begged hard to remain, and I allowed him. As Kumal Khan passed us, Bhudrinath gave the driver the signal; he nodded his head in compliance: and telling the men who were to hold our horses to be near and in readiness, we got behind the cart, and followed it down the descent. About half-way down, the bank of the road sloped into it, and rose into a small eminence. I marked the place, and saw that the driver had done the same: the cart gradually diverged from the track; one wheel went up the bank; it leaned fearfully over, and at last came down with a terrible crash. We were off our horses in an instant, and ran up: Kumal Khan was groaning beneath it. We lifted it up and got him out; but he was either so frightened or hurt he could not speak. At last he recovered; and the first words he uttered were a volley of abuse at the driver. "Look!" cried he; "a smooth road, not a stone or a pebble, and yet that son of a base mother must needs drive up yonder bank, and has nearly killed me." "He shall be well punished for his carelessness," said I; "but are you hurt, Khan?" "My right arm is very painful," said he, holding it; "and I wish to Alla I had a horse to ride, instead of going further in that concern." "It cannot now be helped," said Bhudrinath; "and it is well none of your bones were broken. We will keep nearer you in future, and see that the fellow drives more carefully." The cart had been by this time set fairly in the road again, and Kumal Khan's mattress and pillow arranged. As he turned away from us, and laid hold of one of the posts of the curtains, and had his foot on the wheel to get in, I threw the handkerchief round his neck. "What--what is this?" was all that escaped him; the rest was an indistinct gurgling in his throat for an instant. The wrench I gave to his neck must have extinguished life, for he relaxed his hold of the post, and fell to the ground without sense or motion.