d, half laughing; "I should certainly consider
myself perfectly justified in taking uncommonly strong steps to try
to get to the bottom of this business. The thing is going on all over
India, and it must mean something, and it is all the worse if taken in
connection with this absurd idea about the greased cartridges. I grant
that it was an act of folly greasing them at all, when we know the
idiotic prejudices the natives have; still, it could hardly have
been foreseen that this stir would have been made. The issue of the
cartridges has been stopped, but when the natives once get an idea into
their minds it is next to impossible to disabuse them of it. It is a
tiresome business altogether."

"Tiffin ready, sahib," Rumzan interrupted, coming out onto the veranda.

"That is right, Rumzan. Now, Isobel, let us think of more pleasant
subjects."

"We are to go into the Hunters' this evening, uncle," Isobel said, as
she sat down. "There is going to be a famous juggler there. There is a
note for you from Mrs. Hunter on the side table."

"Very well, my dear; some of these fellows are well worth seeing.
Bathurst is coming in to dinner. I saw him as he was starting this
morning, just as he was going down to the lines, and he accepted. He
said he should be able to get back in time. However, I don't suppose he
will mind going round with us. I hope you will come, Doctor, to make up
the table. I have asked the two boys to come in."

"I shall have to become a permanent boarder at your establishment,
Major. It is really useless my keeping a cook when I am in here nearly
half my time. But I will come. I am off for three days tomorrow. A
villager came in this morning to beg me to go out to rid them of a
tiger that has established himself in their neighborhood, and that is an
invitation I never refuse, if I can possibly manage to make time for it.
Fortunately everyone is so healthy here at present that I can be very
well spared."

At dinner the subject of juggling came up again, and the two subalterns
expressed their opinion strongly that it was all humbug.

"Dr. Wade believes in it, Mr. Wilson," Isobel said.

"You don't say so, Doctor; I should have thought you were the last sort
of man who would have believed in conjurers."

"It requires a wise man to believe, Wilson," the Doctor said; "any fool
can scoff; the wise man questions. When you have been here as long as
I have, and if you ever get as much sense as I have, which is dou