"Well done!" shouted Tom; while the natives, who were all looking on in the most interested manner, gave vent to exclamations of approval. "Well done! Stick to him like a leech, and show him that you mean to be his master!"
"I will, even if I'm thrown twenty times," answered Jim, setting his teeth, and sitting down closer to his saddle. "Now then! On you go!"
The animal needed no second bidding, and at once set off at a rapid pace. But this time, when it attempted to go through the old movement which had proved so successful, Jim gave a sharp jerk to the reins, and kept its head well up. Again it made the attempt, but without success, and then, unable to get rid of its rider by means of bucking, the spirited pony suddenly darted to one side, and Jim, losing his balance, was deposited upon the ground once more. Four times in succession was he thrown, but in every case he clambered into his seat again, and finally, after the animal had bolted with him at its topmost speed for a mile or more, he managed to quiet it down by patting it upon the neck, and talking to it in a soothing voice. Then he turned it about, and with the beast well in hand this time, came trotting back into the camp, with flushed face and dusty garments, but triumphant and elated. As he did so, Tom gave vent to a cheer, while the natives hammered their spear-heads loudly upon their shields in approbation.
"You have done well, master," said Ali Kumar, coming forward as Jim dismounted in their midst. "These men already know that you are an Englishman, and that you are their leader. They have been waiting to learn what manner of man you are, and whether you are bold enough to ride into the Mullah's country. It was easy to see that you were no great horseman, and, believe me, your courage in mounting again and again, and in laughing at your falls, has raised you high in their estimation. They will now obey your words far more willingly than they would otherwise have done. But we are ready; shall we move on?"
Jim agreed with a wave of his hand, and at once the cavalcade was set in motion. Forty of the camels, which were laden with every variety of bale and box, marched in the centre, while close behind them came twenty others, which could be relied upon to trot for many hours together, all roped to one another. Near them were the followers who were not to act as scouts, keeping an eye upon them lest they should attempt to stray, and prepared to make secure any bundle which showed signs of breaking loose. Spread out like a fan, a mile ahead, were five well-mounted men, while a similar number stood by their horses at the camping-ground, waiting until the column moved well away. And in this order, with Jim and Ali Kumar walking their ponies in company with the front guard, and Tom with the rear, they pushed on in a southerly direction, their faces turned towards a distant hazy blue line which showed the position of the range of hills they would have to cross before reaching the highlands, and the broad stretch of desert which intervened between themselves and the Mullah's country.
Jim was in the highest spirits, and delighted to feel that at last the search for his father had begun. For a time he rode beside Ali Kumar, conversing with him, and then he trotted back towards the camels. Having assured himself that all was well with them, he was about to return to his post, when suddenly one of the scouts, stationed away on the flank, came galloping towards him at top speed, shouting and waving frantically. At the same moment, catching sight of him, the other scouts retired upon their centre.
"Probably a false alarm," Jim told himself; "but I shall take every precaution. Down!" he shouted, signalling to the followers to stop the camels. Then, remembering the native word used on such an occasion, he repeated it loudly.
Collecting their beasts together, the men quickly had them lying upon the ground. Then, obedient to Jim's signs, they left two of their number to guard them, and separating, ran forward some fifty yards. There they halted, and knelt upon the ground, ready for anything that might turn up. A few minutes later Ali Kumar and the scouts joined them, and the former at once sharply interrogated the man who had given the alarm.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"A group of camels three miles to the right," was the answer. "As far as I could see, they were browsing quietly, and had no attendants."