It  was  now  evening ;  the  sun  was  sinking  into  the  west  amidst
clouds  of  glory,  and  the  huge  shadows  of  the  mountains  were
fast  creeping  over  the  plain.  The  precipices  of  Hulleekul-droog
shone  like  gold  under  the  red  light,  which,  resting  upon  the  vast
forests  and  hanging  woods,  caused  them  to  glow  with  a  thousand
rich  tints;  and  wherever  a  small  oozing  of  water  spread  itself
down  a  naked  rock,  it  glittered  so  that  the  eye  could  hardly
behold  it,

'Art  thou  fatigued,  Sahib?'  asked  Ahmed;  'thou  hast  borne
this  well,  and  like  a  man.  By  Alia  1  I  had  thought  thy  race  were
as  soft  as  women.'

'  No  !  I  can  endure  yet  a  good  hour,'  said  Herbert  gaily,

'  "Tis  well !  then  we  wiU  push  on.  Why  hast  thou  burthened
thyself  with  those  flowers?  fling  them  away — thou  wilt  be  the
lighter.'

'  Not  so,  my  friend ;  these  are  the  flowers  of  my  own  land,  and
I  take  them  to  my  comrades;  thou,  dost  not  kniw— thou  canst
not  feel  how  dearly  such  things  are  prized  in  a  distant
land — bringing  with  them,  as  they  do,  remembrances  of  past
time,  and  of  those  who  shared  it  On  with  thee !  behold  I
follow.'

Hardly  a  mile  further,  on  the  very  summit  of  the  mountain,
ere  it  declined  into  the  plain,  they  reached  a  rock,  beside  which
was  a  tiny  footpath,  hardly  perceptible.  '  This  is  our  resting
place  for  the  night,'  said  Ahmed;  'many  a  time  have  I  slept  here,
with  a  load  of  tobacco  on  my  shoulders  for  the  mountaineers,
who  are  a  curious  people.'

'  Ay,  indeed ! '

'  Yes,  I  will  tell  thee  all  about  them  :  but  lay  thyself  down
beneath  this  rpck,  and  it  will  shelter  thee  from  the  cgjd  wind.  I
wiU  get  s')me  sticks,  and  we  will  have  a  fire ;  I  should  lik^  a


TIPPOO  SULTAUN.  347

smoke,  tQO,  after  this  travel.'    And  so  saying,  he  disencumbered
himself  of  his  arms,  and  turned  oif  to  a  short  distance.
