And he rid on in silence, yet pondering deeply, as his face showed. And with this I was content, knowing that he was well seen in all manner of warlike shifts and devices, having been trained in the Low Countries under that most famous captain, the Mareschal Turenne, so that I could not doubt but that he would find some means for to extricate us from our perils. And indeed, before we had left the valley, he turned himself towards me with a smile. “I don’t doubt, sir,” says he, “that you are already arrived at the same decision as I--namely, that we must avoid all the towns, where the Moguls have garrisons, and seek shelter only in the small villages, where there an’t sufficient force for to detain us, even though the bruit concerning us may have reached ’em. Nor is this all, for we must leave all thoughts of travelling with a safe-conduct in virtue of the emperor’s _pharmaund_, which should ruin us the rather, and instead of going on our way, and proceeding to the sea-coast, where we are looked for, must turn our steps to the south, and our minds to Seva Gi, the only man that can help us at this pinch.” “But, sir,” I cried, “do you propose to traverse all India? Here are we in the Mogul’s dominions, and you speak quite coolly of seeking refuge in the Moratty country.” “On this,” says he, “hangs our lives, so far as I can see. Pray, sir, if the sea-coast be closed against us, what chance have we but to outgo the emperor’s commands and reach the border before ’em? Rumours spread quickly in this country, but I dare be bound that they won’t be so quick nor so precise but we may succeed in outrunning ’em by means of forced marches. Hereon turns our fate. In the way we have pursued hitherto, they are watching against our passage, while in turning to the south we may make a certain distance before they suspect our design.” I could not bring forward any reason sufficiently strong to weigh against this, though it irked me much to think that an Englishman must needs present himself as a suppliant at the court of this Moratty king; but I admired prodigiously the quick motions of the viscount’s mind, perceiving that Seva Gi was in truth the only man that in this strait could avail to protect us against the Moguls, and could further, by his power over the country of Conchon, bring us safely without let or hindrance to the very gates of Surat. Therefore I consented with my friend to the plan; and after consulting with Darah and Loll Duss, we turned off our road towards the south, purposing to seek out some trustworthy person that might guide us on our journey, since we knew next to nothing of the way we must take, nor even whether the Moguls were posted thickly therein or not. And herein were we in a strait, for we were resolved to avoid all towns and places where much people should be likely to be gathered.