ed. And Gooja Singh stood a
little forward from the others, half-truculent and half-afraid.

"What do you want?" asked Ranjoor Singh. "Of what were you
whispering?" But Gooja Singh did not answer.

"No need to tell me!" said Ranjoor Singh. "I know! Ye all seek leave
to loot! As sons of THALUKDARS [Footnote: Land holder]--as trusted
soldiers of the raj--as brave men--honorable men--ye seek to prove
yourselves!"

They gasped at him--all of them, Tugendheim included. I tell you he
was a brave man to stand and throw that charge in the teeth of such
a regiment, not one man of whom reckoned himself less than
gentleman. I looked to my pistol and made ready to go and die beside
him, for I saw that he had chosen his own ground and intended there
and then to overcome or fail.

"Lately but one thought has burned in all your hearts," he told
them. "Loot! Loot! Loot! Me ye have misnamed friend of Germany--friend
of Turkey--enemy of Britain! Yourselves ye call honorable
men!"

"Why not?" asked Gooja Singh, greatly daring because the men were
looking to him to answer for them. "Hitherto we have done no
shameful thing!"

"No shameful thing?" said Ranjoor Singh. "Ye have called me traitor
behind my back, yet to my face ye have obeyed me these weeks past.
Ye have used me while it served your purpose, planning to toss me
aside at the first excuse. Is that not shameful? Now we reach the
place where ye must do instead of talk. Below is the plunder ye have
yearned for, and here stand I, between it and you!"

"We have yearned for no such plunder as that!" said Gooja Singh, for
the men would have answered unless he did, and he, too, was minded
to make his bid for the ascendency.

"No?" said Ranjoor Singh. "'No carrion for me!' said the jackal. 'I
only eat what a tiger killed!'"

He folded his arms and stood quite patiently. None could mistake his
meaning. There was to be, one way or the other, a decision reached
on that spot as to who sought honor and who sought shame. He himself
submitted to no judgment. It was the regiment that stood on trial! A
weak man would have stood and explained himself.

Presently Ramnarain Singh, seeing that Gooja Singh was likely to get
too much credit with the men, took up the cudgels and stood forward.

"Tell us truly, sahib," he piped up. "Are you truly for the raj, or
is this some hunt of your own on which you lead us?"

"Ye might have asked me that before!" said Ranjoor Singh. "Now ye
shall ans