dry and combustible materials rapidly brightened up into a fierce flame. A wild shout from without-side proclaimed the event. I had no time to lose. Amidst the burning and crackling, I precipitated myself from the window, and luckily alighted on the sepoy-halbadier. I was not hurt, but he was. Springing up, I seized his pike, which had fallen from his hand, used it as a quarter-staff and cleared my way, till I gained the shed in which my horse was tethered. I clapped the bit in his mouth; but in the darkness and hurry not finding my saddle, I mounted without it, and took the field.

Determined on seeing the fire, I turned round on the sepoys and others, who were close at my heels; and putting my spear in the rest, like a knight of old, I dashed full tilt down the narrow lane, broke through them, and spitted one against a small mud temple, well nigh immolating him as an offering to the god Bramah; while my vicious and sacrilegious horse thrust his impious hoofs into the very penetralia of the piscina, a little nich, with a pipkin-bellied idol, and a cudgereepot of perfumed rice, which, were dashed to atoms. They yelled curses at us,- "Yaoar! Dog!" but, under the dark wing of night, we escaped the missiles which were hurled after us, and we heeded not words. We now sprang into the middle of the crowd gathered before the conflagration, and created much havoc. I came upon them in great wrath, for I had but a little time to stay. The mob fled before me like wild ducks. As old Muckery was busying herself, with a long bamboo, in fishing out her traps, I applied the sharp end of my pike to her, and goaded her into the embers. She grasped a number of flaming bamboos, and, missing me, burnt the horse; upon which he rushed forward, kicking and rearing with ungovernable fury. I could neither stop, nor check him. We cleared the village.

Away we went as free and fast as the wind. My head became dizzy; and rushing through the fresh air, after a heated room, made me death-like sick. With difficulty I clung to my seat, unassisted by saddle. All around me was darkness and gloom. I crossed a wide jeel, where my sagacious Bucephalus plumped into a ford, and waded and swam to the opposite bank. With my head laid down on his neck, I held

on by his long, shaggy mane. As I knew I was receding from the fort, I cared not whither he bore me. Fain would I have pulled up, for I was overcome by a drunken drowsiness, but one of the reins had given way, and my mettled courser speeded on, reeling, and floundering, and blowing like a grampus, I know not how long, for I was hardly sensible. He made towards a glimmering light: it belonged to a chokey, and striking there against something, the shock was like that of a ship against a rock. He gave two or three heavy lurches and fell on me, as I had fallen on the sepoy. I became insensible; and long I must have continued so.

On opening my eyes, I gazed around with astonishment, and felt as after a trance. A group of people, squatted on their haunches, encircled me. A thin and wizard-visaged old man, with the peeta of a Bramin, seemed mumbling incantations; all I could distinguish was,-" Topee Sahib !' -"Ram, ram, ram!"-and Dum, dum, dum!" A better looking, and better garmented man, with a grisly keard, said nothing but “Il' Allah!”

I tried to sit up, and signed to give me water; they shook their heads. My mouth was glued, I could not speak, and was faint with thirst. I found I was lying on a mat, under the shade of a Bunyan's shop, with verandahs. He came out on hearing I was alive, and spoke to me in English ;-no music was ever so harmonious. He brought me a cudgeree-pot of toddy, which revived me; no drink was ever so delicious. Close to me stood a bheestie, gazing and gaping with wonder; a bamboo was poised across his shoulder, supporting two buckets of palmetta-leaf, full of water. He had been entreated by my gestures to let me have some, but he grinned refusal. I now grasped hold of the rim of the bucket, and tilted it over my head. The water smoked on my burning temples; instantly I felt a thrilling sensation of pleasure; and I sat up.

Then I discovered I was at a village near the road to Callian. It was long ere I could recollect the events of the passed day. My bones ached as if I had been beaten to a mummy; and my face, head, and hands were cut. The horse was first recalled to my mind by a lock from his long mane, which was entwined in my fingers, still clenched. I went into the shop,

and, laying down again, fell into a profound sleep. I awoke, when the sun was sinking in the west, drenched with perspiration. After eating some fruit, I went to a tank, bathed, and felt as man new made.

Ruminating on my situation, and remembering I was to meet De Ruyter at the bungalo, I inquired for my horse. They knew nothing of him. I had been carried by some cooleys from the chokey, and laid in the bazaar. By the advice of the shop-keepers, I hired a buffaloe-hackerie, and proceeded towards the rendezvous.

CHAPTER XXI.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes

By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less but nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,
To mingle with the universe, and feel
What I can ne'er express, yet cannot well conceal.

BYRON.

N author, justly celebrated for his knowledge of human

account of his own conduct will, in spite of himself, be so very favourable, that his vices will come purified through his lips; for though the facts themselves may appear, yet so different will be the motives, circumstances, and consequences, when a man tells his own story, and when his enemy tells it, that we can scarce recognize the facts to be one and the same thing."

In twenty hours I arrived at a small village, on the frontiers of the Deccan; and there, having discharged my hackerie, I picked up a couple of cooleys, passed through some paddy and Indian corn-fields, crossed a ford, and reached De Ruyter's bungalo, which I knew by land-marks he had given me, and by the compass. It was prettily situated on a rising ground

at the foot of a mountain, in a retired nook, hid in a grove of cocoa-trees, which love a light and shingly soil, and sheltered by hills to the north, east, and west. There was a wild garden, overgrown with guava, mange, and pomegranate trees, and surrounded by a high and impervious fence of prickly pear. The inside of the house was painted in blue and white stripes to look like a tent, the roof of the centre room being supported by upright bamboos, on which were suspended arms, guns, and spears for the chace. Two sleeping apartments adjoining to this were divided by split bamboos and matting. It was furnished with a tent-table, beds, and other conveniences; a few books and drawing-materials; with rough but spirited sketches of ships, and of lion and tiger-hunts, hanging on the wall. A small open space before the door, studded with benana and lemon-trees, drooping with fruit, sloped down to a large tank, used as a bath, encircled with rose, jessamine, and geranium. An old peasant, in charge of the place, said, "You see, master, it is ungregi,-English fashion." On the east side of the bungalo, canopied by a magnificent sago-palm, was a long, low shed, which served for kitchen; and under the same roof dwelt the peasant, with his wife and family, and a yâk, or little cow, which was squabbling with the children about some fruit.

This yâk was remarkably small and wiry haired. The man told me she was good, strong to ride, and that his malek (master) had brought her out from the sea.

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A sea-monster!" I said with a laugh, come, then, we'll have a swim together!" and was going to turn her into the tank.

"No, no, she like go up mountain; no like go down water."

I inquired if he had seen his malek lately. "No," he replied, "but he had sent, two days back, much things for huzoor," another name for master.

"Did he not write?" Upon which he took a scanty rag of turban from his pate, and extracted from its folds, where it was carefully enveloped, a plantain leaf, doubled up and secured with a piece of coir twine. I cast off the leaf, and found a note from De Ruyter.