arms, thus, one arm under the knees and one under his armpits, and
lifted him. He is a heavy man, all bone and sinew, and my stiff
ankles caused me agony; but I contrived to lay him gently full
length in the shadow of the tree-trunk, and then I covered him with
his overcoat, to keep away flies. I had scarcely finished that when
Gooja Singh came, and I cursed under my breath; but openly I
appeared pleased to see him.

"It is well you came!" said I. "Thus I am saved the necessity of
sending one to bring you. Our sahib is asleep," I said, "and has
made over the command to me until he shall awake again."

"He sleeps very suddenly!" said Gooja Singh, and he stood eying me
with suspicion.

"Well he may!" said I, thinking furiously--as a man in a burning
house--yet outwardly all calm. "He has done all our thinking for us
all these days; he has borne alone the burden of responsibility. He
has enforced the discipline," said I with a deliberate stare that
made Gooja Singh look sullen, "and God knows how necessary that has
been! He has let no littlest detail of the march escape him. He has
eaten no more than we; he has marched as far and as fast as we; he
has slept less than any of us. And now," said I, "he is weary. He
kept awake until I came, and fell asleep in my arms when he had
given me his orders."

Gooja Singh looked as if he did not believe me. But my words had
been but a mask behind which I was thinking. As I spoke I stepped
sidewise, as if to prevent our voices from disturbing the sleeper,
for it seemed wise to draw Gooja Singh to safer distance. Now I sat
down at last on the summit of the rock exactly where Ranjoor Singh
was sitting when I spied him first, hoping that perhaps in his place
his thoughts would come to me. And whether the place had anything to
do with it or not I do not know, but certainly wise thoughts did
come. I reached a decision in that instant that was the saving of
us, and for which Ranjoor Singh greatly commended me later on.
Because of it, in the days to come, he placed greater confidence in
my ability and faithfulness and judgment.

"What were his orders?" asked Gooja Singh. "Or were they secret
orders known only to him and thee?"

"If you had not come," said I, "I would have sent for you to hear
the orders. When he wakes," I added, "I shall tell him who obeyed
the swiftest."

I was thinking still. Thinking furiously. I knew nothing at all yet
about Abraham, and that was good, for othe