A pang of misery ran through me at these words, which were uttered with so much conviction that I felt they must be true. After a few moments, and from a desire to say something less weak than my last poor feeble utterance, I said-- "Was it not you who saved my life when that sowar was going to cut me down?" "Yes," he cried excitedly. "If he had killed you, he should not have lived another hour." "Why?" I said, with a smile. "I was his enemy fighting against him." "But you were my friend," he said, in a soft low voice, full of emotion; "almost the only one who treated me as if I were something more than a pariah dog. Yes, always my friend, who softened those bitter hours of misery and despair when I was suffering for my people, that some day we might cast off the heel which held us crushed down into the earth. My friend, whom I would have died to save." "Ny Deen!" I cried, for his words moved me, and I stretched out my hand to him. "Hah!" he cried, seizing it tightly between his own. "I could not ask you to give me the hand of friendship, but it has come from you." "And yet how can I shake hands with you, rajah?" I said sadly; "we are enemies." His eyes flashed with pride as I called him rajah, and he retained my hand firmly. "Enemies?" he said. "Yes, in the field, when face to face; but you are wounded, and there is a truce between you and me. We can be friends, and eat salt together. You are my guest, my honoured guest. This tent is yours; the servants are yours; order them, and they will obey you. As soon as you are well enough, there is a palanquin waiting with willing men to bear you. When you are better still, there is your elephant and a horse." "My horse, my Arab?" I cried. "Is he safe?" He smiled. "Yes, quite safe, with two syces to care for him; the horse of their rajah's friend. What can I get you? Ask for anything. I am _very_ rich, and it shall be yours." "You can only give me one thing," I cried. "No; two things." "The first, then?" he said, smiling. "News of my troop, of Captain Brace, and our men; of the officers of the foot regiment. Tell me," I cried excitedly, "how did the fight end?" "How could it end?" he replied, with a smile full of pride. "What could that poor handful of men do against my thousands?" "Defeated?" I cried excitedly. "Yes; they were defeated; they fled." My countenance fell, and there must have been a look of despair in my eyes, which he read, for he said more quietly-- "Captain Brace is a brave man, and he did everything he could; but he had to flee--and you were left in my hands a prisoner," he added, with a smile.