370 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



hand -gallop, and, disappearing from our sight, van- 

 ished into space across the plain. Though certainly 

 partaking largely of the mysterious, there was some- 

 thing business-like in the bearing of the boy that a 

 little encouraged us ; but for the rest, it appeared 

 that the fates had willed we were to be left an in- 

 definite period of time with our own meditations on 

 the banks of the stream. 



And so left we were for two mortal hours. The 

 glowing sun had gone down upon our impatience, 

 and the short twilight was launching us rapidly into 

 night, when Hassan, horses, and mules made their 

 appearance. The reason for their being so late at 

 the try sting -place was this : They had arrived at 

 noon, but had no sooner sat down to await our ar- 

 rival than a party of horsemen, supposed to be 

 Bashi-Bazooks, were descried in the distance. As 

 it was nearly certain that, if by chance these despe- 

 rate marauders caught sight of the horses, they would 

 instantly ride up and appropriate them, and probably 

 amuse themselves by pricking the owner with their 

 lances till he jumped into the river, or otherwise 

 considerately disposed of himself, Hassan and the 

 muleteers crept away to a place of concealment some 

 four miles off, leaving the white donkey and boy as 

 a sort of vidette. We said nothing. It was quite 

 possible that the story was true. It was also quite 

 possible that the party of dreaded Bashi-Bazooks was 

 the mere creation of Hassan's brain, rendered sud- 



