"Eh? Come, come, my man, this will not do," said the doctor, walking up. "You're getting hot and feverish. There, put away that pipe, and have a good long sleep." "Let me say one word, sir, please," pleaded Craig. "Quick, then. What is it?" and as I leaned eagerly forward to hear what plan he had to propose, Craig said quietly-- "I'm a bit in doubt about my bearers, sir. There's a good deal of whispering going on. They know that we are near their friends, and if they communicate it may mean mischief, or else another long weary tramp, for the enemy will retreat." "Yes, I'll tell Captain Brace," I said; and I went away meaning to ask Craig his plan the next day. As I went across to where our quarters were, under a tree, I came upon young Dick Dobbs, our trumpeter, busy with a bit of rag and some powder, polishing away at his bugle, and I nodded to the happy-looking bright-faced lad. "That's right," I said; "keep it bright." "I will, sir," he said, raising the instrument to his lips. "Oh, I should like to have a good blow." "And blow all poor Brace's schemes to the winds," I said to myself. "I wonder what Craig's plan is." The next minute I was telling Brace of Craig's suspicions. "Hum, yes," he cried. "That's a good man, Craig. I'd give something for him to be well and strong again. I'll go and speak to the bearers, and double their guard. It would be ruin if they communicated with the enemy now." He went and gave the necessary orders, returned, and after making arrangements for our bivouac that night, Dost was summoned to a consultation, the result being that the Hindu stole off as soon as it was dark, and did not return for some hours. Haynes was sleeping, and after lying down for a time enjoying the comparative coolness of the air, and listening to the peculiar noises in the forest, wondering the while whether any stray tiger might be on the prowl, I rose and went to where Brace was sitting. "You!" he said. "Why are you not asleep?" "I can't go off," I replied. "I'm uneasy about Dost." "So am I," replied Brace. "He does not come back. I hope he is faithful." "I feel sure he is," I cried. "Not so loud, my lad," he whispered. "We are deep in the forest, but sound passes far on a night like this. Yes, I think he is faithful; but he belongs to another people, and if he thinks that his people are about to get the upper hand, it is too much to expect him to stand fast by an alien race." Just then one of our men uttered a deep sigh, and as I looked in the direction from which the sound had come, I could not help thinking how dependent we were upon our posts at a time like that, with our poor weary fellows lying about fast asleep, and the thought had hardly occurred to me, when I sprang up, for there was a challenge from our sentry out in the direction of the rajah's town.