r Singh made the men line up facing the door,
with himself and me and Tugendheim between them and the hut.
Presently he pushed Tugendheim into the hut, and he bade me stand in
the door to watch him.

"Now the man who wishes to ask questions may," he said then, and
there was a long silence, for I suppose none wished to be accused of
impudence and perhaps made an example for the rest. Besides, they
were too curious to know what his next intention might be to care to
offend him. So I, seeing that he wished them to speak, and
conceiving that to be part of his plan for establishing good
feeling, asked the first question--the first that came into my head.

"What shall we do with this Tugendheim?" said I.

"That I will show you presently," said he. "Who else has a question
to ask?" And again there was silence, save for the rain and the
grinding and pounding on the beach.

Then Gooja Singh made bold, as he usually did when he judged the
risk not too great. He was behind the men, which gave him greater
courage; and it suited him well to have to raise his voice, because
the men might suppose that to be due to insolence, whereas Ranjoor
Singh must ascribe it to necessity. Well I knew the method of Gooja
Singh's reasoning, and I knitted my fists in a frenzy of fear lest
he say the wrong word and start trouble. Yet I need not have
worried. I observed that Ranjoor Singh seemed not disturbed at all,
and he knew Gooja Singh as well as I.

"It seems for the time being that we have given the slip to both
Turks and Germans," said Gooja Singh; and Ranjoor Singh said, "Aye!
For the time being!"

"And we truly stand on Asia?" he asked.

"Aye!" said Ranjoor Singh,

"Then why did we not put those Turks ashore, and steam away in their
ship toward Gallipoli to join our friends?" said he.

"Partly because of submarines," said Ranjoor Singh, "and partly
because of gun-fire. Partly because of mines floating in the water,
and partly again from lack of coal. The bunkers were about empty. It
was because there was so little coal that the Germans trusted us
alone on board."

"Yet, why let the Turks have the steamer?" asked Gooja Singh, bound,
now that he was started, to prove himself in the right. "They will
float about until daylight and then send signals. Then will come
Turks and Germans!"

"Nay!" said Ranjoor Singh. "No so, for I sank the steamer! I myself
let the sea into her hold!"

Gooja Singh was silent for about a minute, and al