THIRTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE EAST. 179 



same instant relinquished to them ), he slipped from the 

 coat, which was held on all sides, and pushing away those in 

 front of him, he succeeded in reaching the street ; here his 

 nether garments fell, in some unaccountable manner, about 

 'his feet, and he stumbled and fell into a miry puddle which 

 was immediately before him : he instantly sprang to his 

 feet, and rushed to the entrance of a dark stable close ad- 

 jacent. The mob concluded they had now secured their prey, 

 but they were mistaken ; for Schofft had, fortunately, whilst 

 passing this stable on a previous occasion in my company, 

 entered it, and noticed its back entrance, which led into the 

 bazaar ; through this back door he then gained the bazaar, 

 and from thence ( the mob all the way at his heels ), reach- 

 ed the house of his protector, Baii Goormukh Sing; 

 The door was immediately shut, and Schofft was saved. 



He there met with a kind reception, and on cleansing 

 himself from the mire and blood with which he was cover- 

 ed, it was found that he had not only received several 

 contusions on the bead from the iron knobs on the shields 

 of the Nahungs, with which they had struck at him ; but 

 also a sword wound on the back, by which his braces had 

 been cut through, which at once explained to him the cause 

 of his fall into the mire at so critical a moment. The mob 

 not evincing any inclination to disperse, the police interfered, 

 and compelled them to retire. 



During all this time I was at home, expecting his 

 arrival every moment ; and at length, when it was quite 

 dark, some of the persons whom I had sent with the horse, 

 came back to me with the news of the riot, and informed 

 me that he was in the hands of the mob. This filled me 

 with consternation, and I immediately sent to the comman- 

 der of the fortress ( a friend of mine ), soliciting him to 

 assist and endeavour to save the unfortunate painter. With 

 great promptitude, he despatched a whole company of re- 

 gular troops to the city, and on their way they met Schofft 

 on his road home ; he having been disguised in an oriental 

 costume, and sent on horseback accompanied by an escort 

 of police. My first care was to dress his wounds; and 

 27 



