rwise I might have decided
to wait there for him to overtake us.

"Have the men finished eating?" I asked, and he answered he was come
because they had finished eating.

"Then the order is to proceed at once!" said I. "Send a cart here
under the rock and eight good men, that we may lower our sahib into
it. With the exception of that one cart let the column proceed in
the same order as before, the Turk and his men leading."

"Leading whither?" asked Gooja Singh.

"Let us hope," said I, "to a place where orders are obeyed in
military manner without question! Have you heard the order?" I
asked, and I made as if to go and wake our officer.

Without another word Gooja Singh climbed down from the rock and went
about shouting his commands as if he himself were their originator.
Meanwhile I thought busily, with an eye for the wide horizon,
wondering whether we were being pursued, or whether telegrams had
not perhaps been sent to places far ahead, ordering Turkish
regiments to form a cordon and cut us off. I wondered more than ever
who Wassmuss might be, and whether Ranjoor Singh had had at any time
the least idea of our eventual destination. I had no idea which
direction to take. There was no track I could see, except that made
by our own cart-wheels. On what did I base my decision, then? I will
tell you, sahib.

I saw that not only Ranjoor Singh's horse, but all the cattle had
been given liberal amounts of corn. It seemed to me that unless he
intended to continue by forced marches Ranjoor Singh would have
begun by economizing food. Moreover, I judged that if he had
intended resting many hours in that spot he would have had me
summoned and have gone to sleep himself. The very fact that he had
let me sleep on seemed to me proof that he intended going forward.
Doubtless, he would depend on me to stand guard during the night. So
I reasoned it. And I also thought it probable he had told the Turk
in which direction to lead, seeing that the Turk doubtless knew more
of that countryside than any. Ahead of us was all Asia and behind us
was the sea. Who was I that I should know the way? But by telling
the Turk to lead on, I could impose on him responsibility for
possible error, and myself gain more time to think. And for that
decision, too, Ranjoor Singh saw fit to praise me later.

They brought the cart, and with the help of eight men, I laid
Ranjoor Singh very comfortably on the corn, and covered him. Then I
bade those eight