VISITORS 57 



worthy of his followers, and to tell them each man to 

 get his arms and some provisions, and to make ready 

 at once for a long journey. Ismael Khan then entered 

 his zenana and collected all his jewels, and hid them 

 about his person, and desired his favourite wife and one 

 of her attendants to do the same. He also tied about 

 him in a long purse as many gold pieces as he could 

 safely carry, and gave as many more in charge to his 

 steward. 



By the time these preparations were completed 

 evening was approaching. Ismael Khan waited till 

 darkness had fallen, then he mounted his horse, and, 

 accompanied by his favourite wife and her attendant, 

 his steward and five-and-twenty horsemen, he rode 

 silently out of the city and directed his course towards 

 Hindostan. 



I pass over the narrative of the journey, though, as 

 told me, it was very interesting. It was a journey of 

 terrible hardship, of cold, hunger, danger, and privation. 

 And, above all, there hung over them the never-ceasing 

 dread of pursuit and capture ; and capture would 

 be death. At length, after many weeks, the party 

 reached the river Indus. Once across it, they were safe, 

 for the Indus formed the boundary of Nadir Shah's 

 dominions. 



But the crossing the river was not easy : there was 

 trouble and much delay in procuring boats, and then 

 the embarking on them was a slow process ; and in 

 the midst of it a troop of horsemen appeared, de- 

 scending the range of hills behind them to the west. 

 One may imagine then the hurry, the terror, and all 



