The horses were fed and watered, and had an hour's rest, and
then they started for the last twenty miles of their journey.
Annie had, while the horses were resting, a chat with a native woman,
and had gone into her house with her. When they were ready for the
start, she returned, dressed in the costume she had worn in the
Palace. It had originally been intended to get rid of the clothes,
after starting, but Annie had asked for them to be taken on.
"I can change again, before I get to Tripataly," she said. "I should
not like to appear before your mother, for the first time, dressed as
a boy."
And Dick had at once fallen in with her wishes.
The turban was gone, and her head was covered in the fashion of native
women, with a long cotton cloth of a deep red colour.
Where the road was good, the cart proceeded at a fair pace, but in the
pass down the ghauts they could go only at a walk, and the sun had set
before they reached Tripataly. Dick, seeing that Annie was growing
very nervous, as they neared their destination, had ridden all the way
by the side of the cart, chatting cheerfully with her.
"Why, Annie," he said, "you look as solemn as if you were just going
into slavery, instead of having escaped from it.
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