Chapter VII: The Pursuit

That which arrested the eye of Dr. Avery was another crowd, or more properly the same one. He had been drawn away from his true course, and in trying to regain it, he came face to face with the wild mob. Should he be recognized, he would be set upon at once; but with the coolness of a veteran he sauntered along, keeping in the shadow as much as he could. Providentially he was soon clear from all danger from that source.

His heart gave a sympathetic throb when he caught the meaning of enough of the broken exclamations to learn that the fugitive had escaped from the throng that had chased him only a short way before he left them out of sight.

"Luchman gave me this street because it is the most direct one to the Cashmere Gate, and I am less likely to lose my way, but it seems to me it has more moonlight and the natives are altogether too plentiful. I shouldn't wonder now if they are so impatient that they will not wait for the sepoys to begin their deviltry. I think I will turn off and take a road where there are not so many neighbors."

He speedily reached such a street, which appeared to run parallel to the one he had just left, and certainly was much safer. He decided to keep it as long as he could, and when convinced that he was following a wrong course, he would make his way back to the main road that Luchman had directed him to follow.

Dr. Avery had gone perhaps two thirds of the distance to the Cashmere Gate when he made a terrifying discovery.

The portion of the street into which he had drifted was almost deserted, and he was wondering whether it might not be one of the most dangerous parts of the city, when he observed three persons on the other side of the way. They were less than fifty feet distant, and the moon was shining full upon them, so they were in plain sight.

They were two natives supporting a female between them, all walking slowly, while the head of the woman was bowed, and she moaned as if in pain.

"That is singular," thought Dr. Avery; "she seems to be faint, and they are supporting her to her home."

Prompted by a natural impulse, he turned and moved toward the trio, timing his steps so that he was not noticed. He quickly saw that the woman was holding back, while the escort was drawing her forward.

"That has a bad look," he said, walking faster until he was close upon them. Then, oblivious of the fact that he was using an unknown tongue, he called out:

"What are you doing with that woman?"

The natives stopped in a surprised way and stared at him, while the prisoner raised her head and wailed in a faint voice:

"O Baird, save me from them!"

"My God, Marian! is that you?" he asked, springing forward and catching her arm.

The natives, in accordance with their cowardly nature, were about to drop on their knees and beg for mercy, when they had wit enough to see their opportunity. At the moment the surgeon seized the arm of the young lady, the trembling wretches slipped noiselessly away. Had they delayed their departure a single minute, Baird Avery would have shot both dead.

"How came you here?" he asked, half believing it was all a hideous dream, until he felt the warm arm of his beloved grasped by his own strong right hand.

"I can hardly tell you, but it must have been my fault. Luchman walked quite rapidly, never once looking behind to see whether I was keeping near him. He had the right to believe that I knew enough to act my part without any help from him; but at one of the bazars the crowd was so dense that I was compelled to turn aside. Then, when I tried to get back, something caused an excitement in front, and I was forced still further away. By that time I had lost Luchman altogether. You know that no woman ventures in such a place at night without her husband, and I was in a sad predicament. With a view of not drawing unpleasant attention to myself, I tried to keep directly behind a stranger."

"That ought to have protected you," said her escort.

"So it did for a time, but I was terrified when I found that a couple of Mohammedans were following me. I started to flee, but they quickly overtook and made me a prisoner. I pleaded with them and offered all my jewelry, but they laughed and replied that they would soon have it any way. I dared not shriek, for that would have brought others around me, and made my danger tenfold worse."

"But where was that pistol of yours?" asked the doctor, drawing her arm within his own. "Why was it loaded with such care, and stowed away in the recesses of your dress?"

"Would you believe that I forgot I had it until after they grasped my arm so tightly that I could not get hold of it?"

"Such forgetfulness cannot happen again; but we shall be a long time getting out of the city at this rate. How far are we from the Cashmere gate?"

"About half a mile."

"Do you know the way?"

"Perfectly; if the moon was not so bright we would go straight to it, but the whole city is out of doors and we must pick our path. I wonder whether father and mother have had any trouble."

"We can only hope that they have not. What course are you following?" asked Avery a minute later, when they turned into a still narrower street. "If they keep on contracting in this fashion we shall find ourselves caught like the Man in the Iron Mask."

"I am trying to get away from the crowds of people, but they seem to be everywhere."

"Helloa! What does that mean?"

Avery stopped short, drawing his pistol and looking behind him. Marian knew more about the people than he did. She understood the significance of that horrible cry.

"Quick, Baird! We have no time to lose.

"But tell me," he added, moving on again, "what is the meaning of those cries?"

"They are those of the natives who have come upon the dead body of one of their number. It may be that of one who had been pursuing the Englishman you told me about, or it may be one who was killed by an enemy of his own race; but many of them lay his death to the door of the English."

"But they know nothing about us----"

"See!" whispered Marian, catching his arm with a nervous start; "they have discovered us, and are running this way."

Avery saw that his companion spoke the truth. Direct flight was out of the question, for the natives could speedily overtake them. The two walked rapidly, and at the first cross street made a short turn to the right in the hope of getting beyond sight before their enemies could see them again.