THE ESCAPE. 
23 
levy against law, are never voluntary paymasters. It 
must be taken, for they will never give ; we are, how- 
ever, expert and resolute toll-gatherers. But if we 
don’t start forward with a lusty speed,” he continued, 
suddenly rising, “ we shall miss our tributary, and 
thus forfeit the reward of a whole day’s activity. Let 
us on, and with our knowledge of the forest-tracks 
it will be hard if we don’t dodge a stray sheep who 
doesn’t know that he has wandered into the lair of the 
wolf. We ’ll strip him of his burden, and then as 
a compensation show him the way into the sun-light.” 
They now quitted the spot where they had held 
this significant dialogue, taking a narrow path which 
here diverged from the straight line, and were soon 
lost to sight amid the thick growth of the forest. 
The soldier descended from his concealment, de- 
termined not to quit the spot until the sun should 
have nearly reached the western line of the horizon. 
He felt anything but secure in a place where he 
might be intruded upon without a moment’s notice 
by such unceremonious visitors. Being at length, 
however, overcome with extreme fatigue, he threw 
himself at the foot of the tree, and was soon lapped 
in profound slumber. He slept for several hours, and 
upon waking found, to his great satisfaction, that 
his forest sanctuary had not been invaded. Having 
refreshed himself with some cold rice cake, and a 
small quantity of arrack copiously diluted with water, 
he proceeded, guided by a pocket compass, towards 
Delhi, Being utterly unacquainted with the numer- 
ous intricacies of the forest, his progress was extreme- 
ly slow and difficult. 
