They went to bed at their usual time, and slept soundly, for it seemed
to them both that there was practically no risk whatever to be run,
and that they would be across the frontier before any active search
was made for them. Even when it was discovered that they had left the
Palace, it would be thought that they had received some order from
Bangalore, either to join the sultan, or to go on some mission for him
that had occupied more time than they had anticipated on starting. The
idea that two officers, who were considered to stand high in Tippoo's
favour, should desert, would scarcely occur to anyone.
In the morning they were up early, completed their slight
preparations, and took their early breakfast, reserving a portion for
Annie, who, they thought, would not improbably have eaten nothing
before coming to them.
She was a quarter of an hour late in arriving, and looked somewhat
pale and flurried.
"They did not send me out this morning," she said, "and so I had to
stay, until I could slip out without being noticed; but they may miss
me at any moment."
"That will be all right," Dick said confidently. "They will search all
the rooms in the harem for you, first, and certainly won't look for
you outside, until there has been a lot of talk over your absence.
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