Ml LIT A RY AD VENTURES. 99 



down and try to recover that firmness and 

 self control so necessary in the trying 

 situation in which I was placed ; this I 

 did, and soon recovered my usual placidity 

 of mind. 



I have no notion how long it was 

 before I again heard the gentle tapping 

 at the door; this time I was near it 

 immediately, and softly asked what was 

 wanted. A voice, which I at once re- 

 cognised as that of the Bengalee, replied 

 that if I did not wish to have my head 

 taken off in the morning, I had not much 

 time to lose in escaping. I considered 

 for a moment, was this a trick to catch 

 me ? But, on reflecting that I could not 

 be worse off, I whispered that I would 

 be with him immediately, and then pro- 

 ceeded to put in practise my original 

 plan of escaping at the place I had pre- 



