“Because I am not strong yet, and the sun is hot.”
“It will give you strength,” he said quietly. “You have stayed in till you are fretful, and dislike going out. As soon as we are started, you will be glad.”
I felt that it was useless to oppose him, and said no more. In fact, I had no time, for he turned to me with a smile.
“I meant it quite as a surprise for you,” he said; “and I have given all the men a rest from duty to-day, so that I am free. There, get your puggaree; the elephants are waiting, and the guns are in the howdahs.”
I obeyed him with beating heart, and stood ready before him the next minute, wondering whether an attack would be made in our absence, and if there was, what Ny Deen would do. If he fled, I felt that he would take me with him, and that there would be another weary time before Dost could find me out.
“But no,” I said; “he will not go. He will hurry back to lead his people. He has too much at stake to flee.”
“Well,” he said, “are you counting the tigers?”
I started back into the present, and followed him out through chamber after chamber, and along passages till we descended into a court something like the one upon which I looked down, but larger; and here I found three elephants, a strong party of horsemen, and two little bullock-waggons, in which were a couple of hunting leopards, each carefully chained, and with its attendant.
In spite of my excitement, I looked with some little curiosity on the two long-legged graceful-looking spotted creatures, each with a peculiar far-off look in its eyes, as if it were trying to pierce the walls and catch sight of the antelopes it was to chase.
Ny Deen saw my look, and smiled.