"Fear not," said I, "they shall be well cared for, and while Ameer Ali lives they shall know no want." But I could hardly speak for weeping; for I knew the old woman, and many were the prayers she made for his safe return as she confided him to my care. Alas! how should we be able to tell her his fate! The poor boy was satisfied with my words; he would fain have replied to them, and his lips moved; but a torrent of blood checked his utterance, and, raising his dull and glazed eyes to mine, he bowed his head on my hand, and died in the effort. "Now," said I, to the assembled Thugs, "I here swear to one thing, and ye are none of mine unless ye agree to it. I swear that, whatever share would have come to this poor lad, it shall be doubled for his mother; as yet, we know not what it is: but, whatever it be, it shall be doubled." "We agree," cried all; "nay, every man of us will add to it what we can; had Junglee not hamstrung the camel, which none of us thought of doing, it might--nay, would have escaped; for we saw its speed yesterday, and the two good Rajpoots who were on it would have carried it off." "Ye are my own brothers for this good promise," I said; "and now, some of you dig a grave for the poor lad. We must unload that beast, and strip the bodies. For myself, I am in some pain, and will wash my head and tie up the cut--so set about your work quickly." The camel still lay groaning; they tried to raise it up, but in vain; the stroke had divided the sinew above the hock, and it could not raise itself; so one of the men cut its throat, and ended its pain. The bags of treasure were transferred to my pony and Peer Khan's horse, and mine, and every man also filled his waistband; so that we were enabled to carry it all off. We took the swords of the Rajpoots; but everything else, and their bodies, were dragged into the jungle to some distance, and hastily covered with earth and stones. The bloody earth on the scene of the conflict was collected and thrown away, and in a very short time nothing remained to mark the spot but the carcass of the camel, which we could not dispose of; and leaving the usual marks for the guidance of Motee and his party, we continued our march on the main road. Ah, how great was our joy when, before we reached the stage we were to encamp at, and as we sat at the edge of a stream washing ourselves, we saw, on the brow of a rising ground we had just passed, our party coming up. They ran towards us in breathless anxiety and hope. Motee was first, and he threw himself into my arms. "We hastened on," he said, "from the last stage, hoping to overtake you in time; and when we saw the dead camel, how great was our suspense till we could find you! We saw the traces of the conflict, and some blood which had escaped your notice--which I have removed--and that added to our anxiety; but, Davee be praised! we have found you at last, and you are all safe. Is it not so?"