At every brief halt, they were carefully unbitted, unsaddled, groomed, and lightly fed, and picketed in the old Indian fashion, with the V-ended heel-rope fastened round both hind fetlocks and secured to a single pin; near cuts over the hills were taken, but rivers were never forded or swum, unless the horses were perfectly cool; once or twice, pieces of goat's flesh were rolled round their bridle-bits; and hence by all this care, the cattle of the whole troop, unblown and ungalled, were in excellent order, when, on the fourth day--for their progress had been swifter than that of Saleh Mohammed, as they were unincumbered by women, children, camels, and ponies--they left the Kaloo Mountain behind, and ere long, without seeing aught of Hazarees or Toorkomans, though always prepared for them, they came in sight of Bameean, towering on its green mountain, its elaborate but silent temples and great solemn giants of stone reddened by the bright flood of light shed far across the plain by the sun, which was setting amid a sea of clouds that were all of crimson flame. In deepest purple the shadows fell far eastward; the gleam of arms appeared on the walls of the old fort in the foreground, when Waller and Sir Richmond Shakespere darted forward, by a vigorous use of the spur, far outstripping their less enthusiastic followers. After they had carefully reconnoitred the fort through their field-glasses, Shakespere began to rein in his horse, and check its pace. "Waller," said he, "a red flag has replaced Ackbar's invariable green, one on the fort. We had better parley." "But we have neither trumpet nor drum." "Nor would those fellows understand the sound of either, if we had; but look out--pull up, or, by Heaven, we shall be fired upon! You are rash, Waller, and in action seem quite to lose your head." "But my hand is ever steady--ay, as if this sword were but a cricket bat," retorted Waller, whose blue eyes were sparkling with light. "True, my dear fellow; but to be potted now, when within arm's length of those we have risked so much to save, would be a sad mistake." "Egad, yes; and that old devil with his jingall--for a jingall it is--may speedily send one of us into that place so vaguely known as the next world," responded Waller, as he tied a white handkerchief to the point of his sword, and then Saleh Mohammed Khan was seen to unwind and wave the cloth of his turban in response. By this action they knew that all idea of resistance was at an end, and that they should be received as friends. The gates of the fort were unbarricaded and thrown open, and many of the ladies now began to appear, timidly but curiously and expectantly, thronging forward to meet those whom they had been told were come "to meet and to save them."