We told him
that we would ride over to see him shortly, and hoped to find him
getting on rapidly. Another minute and he was gone.
"It happened that we had three or four fellows away on leave or on
staff duty, and several others laid up with fever just about this
time, so that the duty fell very heavily upon the rest of us, and
it was over a month before we had time to ride over to see the
fakir.
"We had heard he was going on well; but we were surprised, on
reaching the village, to find that he had already returned to his
old abode in the jungle. However, we had made up our minds to see
him, especially as we had agreed that we would endeavor to persuade
him to do a prediction for us; so we turned our horses' heads
towards the jungle. We found the fakir sitting on a rock in front
of the temple, just where he had been seized by the tiger. He rose
as we rode up.
"'I knew that you would come today, sahibs, and was joyful in the
thought of seeing those who have preserved my life.'
"'We are glad to see you looking pretty strong again, though your
arm is still in a sling,' I said, for Simmonds was not strong in
Hindustani.
"'How did you know that we were coming?' I asked, when we had tied
up our horses.
"'Siva has given to his servant to know many things,' he said
quietly.
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