ful time then ensued; hours and hours and hours seemed to have passed away, when at last the door was opened, and Meer Sooltan, in the garb of a common peasant, and without arms, entered with a torch, while the black, with great dexterity and apparent delight in his task, bound the legs and arms of the twins, and then proceeded to gag them so scientifically that, while able to breathe tolerably well, they were totally unable to utter a sound. They were then carried out into the yard (when they perceived the sun had just risen), were skilfully placed under some packages of light merchandise (supported on bamboo cross-rests) in a bullockgharry, which Meer Sooltan mounted and drove calmly out into the lane, the slave bidding him good-bye and a safe journey!

Tightly bound and gagged though they were, the Mertons were not absolutely uncomfortable. The bottom of the gharry was covered with a few sheepskins; the packages concealing them were, for the most part, supported on the bamboos; and the back of the cart, towards which their heads were laid, was taken out so as to admit of air and a tolerable view of all they passed. In fact, so cleverly had the affair been managed, that the health of the bound ones was amply provided for, while the security of their persons was absolute so long as the well-knotted thongs held fast.

So confident was the disguised Meer Sooltan in the situation of his captives, that he drove his bullocks with the utmost carelessness through the principal streets of the city, stopping here to exchange a few words of gossip with a neighbour; there, to ask advice as to the roads with other travellers; anon, to stare at the British guards who were picketted every here and there; and again to purchase the sweetmeats and fruits which an Affghan so dearly loves. But whatever his real motive was, his insouciance was amply rewarded; the English could have no suspicion of a countryman dawdling with his goods, through curiosity, right in their midst; so that instead of stopping and examining his cart, they actually rebuked him for his tardiness, and even hastened the speed of his bullocks every now and then by a slight prick from a bayonet.

Fancy the agony and horror of his young captives as they heard all, and saw the greater portion of this! Absolutely passing within touch of their countrymen, and yet utterly unable by motion, sound, or gesture, to attract the slightest observation that might tend towards their liberty! Shouted at for a lazy sluggard, Meer Sooltan was hurried by the English guard out of the southern gate of the city; and as he prodded his bullocks on to the maidaun, and at last urged them into something like a trot, all hope died in Henry Merton's

heart, and he felt that the last chance of liberty was gone from them for ever!

Not so Amy. From the very moment that she had been settled down full length by the side of her brother, she had been unceasingly working her jaws to strain her gag-if only ever so little-to enable her to call out for assistance. All the way through the crowded streets had she worked till her cheeks were cut and bleeding, and her lips were a mass of self-inflicted tooth wounds. A constant, never-ceasing drop will wear away a stone; so it was with Amy's gag. By the time they were about a quarter of a mile from the last guard, she had actually widened the gag so much that she could get at it readily with her teeth. A few more efforts and she succeeded in biting it through; and it fell from her bleeding lips as she most cautiously turned round towards her brother, and he saw what she had done. He shuddered when he saw all the lower part of her face streaming with blood; but when she scarcely breathed a whisper to him to slip up his hands as much as possible for her to bite through the thongs which bound them, he shook his head and frowned disapproval, while he tried to intimate that she should continue to work at her own bonds, and thus become free.

"No, no,” she whispered, "no chance, too weak. See,