Thus it would be unlikely that any suspicion would be aroused by their absence until they had been gone twenty-four hours, by which time they would be more than halfway to the frontier.
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.

But even if they do search, you will be able, in a few minutes, to walk through the middle of them without being suspected.
"However, we will lose no time; and to begin with, I will cut off what hair is necessary.