"It is of no use, Brace," said the doctor. "Make a virtue of necessity, man." Then, turning to the rajah, "You will give us safe conduct down to your place?" "Yes," said the rajah, quickly; "and if there is danger, my people shall hide my old friends. It is war now, not against men we know, but against the Koompanni." "Let's ride back to the rajah's place," said the doctor, in a whisper; "we may make some terms with him on the way." "Can we trust him?" replied Brace. "There is a look about him I hardly like." "Help the sahibs," said the rajah; and then he made a sign, with the result that the mahouts made their elephants kneel down again, and, after a little hesitation, Brace mounted, and I followed him, while, after orders had been given for the second tiger to be placed on the pad elephant, we set off down the valley, the rajah riding abreast, while his armed men came behind, leading the pad elephant with the shikaree and the beaters. The sun shone brightly as ever; the jungle growth away to right and left was glorious to behold, and the sky was of as vivid a blue as the edge of the forest was green; but it was as if a terrible black cloud had come down over us, and all were changed. We had ridden up that gorge full of excitement, and in the eager anticipation of a day's sport; now we knew that we were on our way to face death and terrors that I shrank from contemplating. From time to time Brace gave an order to our mahout, and he went on abreast of the little elephant which bore the doctor and the wounded man, when a short eager conversation took place; Brace being of opinion that the outbreak was only local, and that our course would be to send messengers at once east and west to the nearest stations for help; but the doctor took a more serious view of the case. "Perhaps I'm wrong," he said, "but I fear we have been growing this trouble for years past." "What do you mean?" cried Brace, impatiently. "You ask me that?" said the doctor. "Well, I mean that your Bartons, of whom there are thousands through the country--as officers, magistrates, collectors, and the like--have been trampling down and insulting these people, till they have been crushed in the dust, till they could bear no more, and they have risen. Now do you ask me what I mean?" Brace glanced at me as I was thinking of the handsome, patient syce at the barracks, and the treatment I had often seen him meet with; and then, as if reading my thoughts, he turned away with a look of despair. "There is no hiding the fact, Brace," continued the doctor. "I only hope I am exaggerating the troubles. But if I am right, I say, God help the wives and daughters of those who have them here, and may He spread his hands over the unfortunate children!"