He went up to him, and held out his hand.
"Mirzah Mahomed Buckshy!" he exclaimed. "I am glad to meet you again,
although sorry to see that you are wounded."
The officer looked at him, in surprise.
"You have spoken my name," he said, "but I do not know that we have
ever met before."
"We have met twice. The first time I was, with a friend, dressed as
one of Tippoo's officers, and came to examine the state of Savandroog.
The second time we were dressed as merchants, and I succeeded in
effecting the liberation of my father. Both times I received much
kindness at your hands. But far more grateful am I to you for your
goodness to my father, whose life you preserved.
"I see you still carry the pistols I left for you, and doubtless you
also received the letter I placed with them."
"Thanks be to Allah," the old colonel said, "that we have thus met
again! Truly I rejoiced, when my first anger that I had been fooled
passed away, that your father had escaped, and that without my being
able to blame myself for carelessness. Your letter to me completed my
satisfaction, for I felt that Heaven had rightly rewarded the efforts
of a son who had done so much, and risked his life for a father.
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