was gazing intently at Ali Partab and
listening eagerly; he stood almost underneath the arch, and Miss McClean
was staring at him frowning with the effort to translate her thoughts
into a language that is very far from easy. They would none of them have
seen the roof descending on them.

"And--and won't you under any circumstances take us, say, to the
Resident at Abu instead?"

"I may not, Miss-sahib."

"But why?"

"Of a truth I know not. I never yet knew Mahommed Gunga to give an order
without good reason for it; but beyond that he chose me, because he said
the task might prove difficult and he trusted me, I know nothing."

"Have you no idea of the reason?"

"Miss-sahib, I am a soldier. To me an order is an order to be carried
out; suspicions, fears are nothing unless they stand in the way of
accomplishment. I await your word. I am ready. The horses are here--good
horses--lean and hard. The order is that you must ask me."

"Thank you--er--Ali what?--thank you, Ali Partab." The disappointment in
her voice was scarcely more noticeable than the despondency her drooping
figure showed. The little shoulders that had sat so square and gallantly
seemed to have lost their strength, and there was none of the determined
ring left in the words she hesitated for. "I--hope you will understand
that I am grateful--but--I cannot--er--see my way just yet to--"

"In your good time, Miss-sahib. I was ordered to have patience!"

"At least I will have more confidence, knowing that you are always close
at hand."

The Rajput bowed. She reined back. He saluted, and she bowed again;
then, with a glance to make sure that Joanna followed, she started back
at little more than a walking pace--a dejected wraith of a girl on a
dejected-looking pony, too overcome by the upsetting of her rebellious
scheme to care or even think whether Joanna dropped out of sight or
not. Ali Partab watched her down the street with a face that betrayed no
emotion and no suspicion of what his thoughts might be. When she was out
of sight he went back under the arch to attend to his three horses;
and the moment that he did so a fat but very furtive Hindoo took his
place--glanced down the street once in the direction that Rosemary had
taken--and then darted up-street as fast as his shaking paunch would
let him. He had been gone at the least ten minutes, when Joanna, also
furtive, also in a hurry, dodged here and there among the commencing
surge of traffic and ap