R for one?" he argued. She returned sadly to her husband. Presently the cries of the dacoits showed that they had scented their quarry. Soon they shouted at the door: "Open! or drive out the Deputy Magistrate. We know he is here. Give him to us or what happens be on your own head." The wife wept piteously. Her father remained obdurate, muttering, "I knew this would happen." The unfortunate Magistrate could not understand his father-in-law's behaviour. He sat with his head bowed in despair. Suddenly his wife ran to him. "You must try to escape. I have an idea." She pulled out a saree and some jewels, and began to dress him as a woman, "It's no use," he said hopelessly, "they will catch me." "Be brave," she said encouragingly, "for my sake see if you cannot elude them." With tender hands she arranged the saree, draping it well over his head to conceal his face. Then giving him a ghurra (water vessel) told him to pretend that he was going to fetch water from the river. Cheered by her courage, he caught her to his heart in a mute farewell, and her prayers went with him. He had not gone far from the house when cries arose of "There he is!" But some one shouted: "It is a woman. Look elsewhere." And he passed slowly to the river. Here he flung the brass ghurra far out into the stream and ran for his life along the bank. No sounds of pursuit followed him, and he now gained courage enough to form a plan of escape. Not far from _______________________________________________ Bah-alcarria mailing list [email protected] https://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/bah-alcarria