MILITARY ADVENTURES. Ill 



we, of course, did ; when in the street, I 

 could see by the angry faces of the crowd 

 that we were not especial favourites. We 

 soon reached the palaver house, which 

 consisted of a large hall with raised seats 

 one end, on which sat the kotwal as pre- 

 sident, and some half a dozen old men 

 who formed the council. The kotwal, or 

 chief magistrate, was a sinister, hard, 

 cruel looking fellow, with a low, cunning 

 expression, anything but agreeable to 

 contemplate for men in our unhappy 

 situation. We were not left long to make 

 our observations, for, on our being called 

 up, the examination began. I soon found 

 they knew more of us than we suspected, 

 and they were quite aware of my escape 

 having cheated the executioner ; indeed, 

 there was my captor himself, sitting in the 

 hall, his bad, disagreeable fare quite lit 



