The doors were carefully closed, and it was some time before we could get an answer to our offers of assistance.

Eventually a lady looked out, and told us that she and a friend, each accompanied by two children and an _ayah_,[1] were on their way to Lahore; that the bearers who had brought them so far had run away, and that they were absolutely in despair as to how they were to proceed.

It turned out that the bearers, who had been engaged to carry the ladies on the second stage towards Lahore, found it more amusing to attend the ceremony of the installation of the Raja of Kaparthala, then going on, than to fulfil their engagement.

After discussing the situation, the ladies were persuaded to get out of their palankins and into our buggy.

We divided the baggage and six doolies between our sixteen bearers, and started off, my cousin, the _ayahs_, and I on foot.