s for being a spy of the Turks, sent on ahead
to prepare the way. But some cooler head than the rest urged to put
him to the torture, and they agreed.

Whether or not Gooja Singh declared under torture that we were Turks
we could not get to know, but it is certain that the Kurds decided
we were Turks, whatever Wassmuss swore to the contrary; and
doubtless he swore furiously! And because they believed us to be
Turks, they let us be for the present, sure that we would try to
make our way back if they could keep the main Turkish forces from
regaining touch with us. And Gooja Singh they presently crucified in
a place where we would almost surely see him, thinking thus to
surprise us with the information that all was known, and to frighten
us into a state of comparative harmlessness--a favorite Kurdish
trick.

That did not account for everything. It did not account for our
victory over Turks in the hail-storm and our plunder of the Turks'
camp and capture of the gold. But none had seen that raid because of
the storm, and the spies who had said they talked with our men in
the night were now disbelieved. Our presence in the hills and Gooja
Singh's escape was all set down to Turkish trickery; and doubtless
they did not believe we truly had gold with us, or they would have
detached at least a party to follow us up and keep in touch.

The clearest thing of all that the disjointed scraps of tale
betrayed was that we were in luck! If the Kurds believed us to be
Turks, they were likely to let us wander at will, if only for the
very humor and sport of hunting us down when we should try to break
back. "No need to waste more labor setting this camp to rights!"
said I. "We shall rest a little and be up and away again!" And the
wounded groaned, and some objected, but I proved right. Ranjoor
Singh was no man to study comfort when opportunity showed itself. We
rested two hours, and during those two hours our friend the Kurdish
chief made tip his mind, and he and Ranjoor Singh struck a new
bargain.

"Give me the gold!" said he. "Keep the hostages and ten of my men to
guide you, and send them back when you are two days into Persia. I
go to fight against the Turks!"

Well, they bargained, and bargained. Ranjoor Singh offered him his
choice of a chest of gold then and there, or four-fifths of the
whole in Persia; and in the end he agreed to take three chests of
gold then and there, and to leave us the hostages and thirty men to
see us