ced round the room, while pouring out the tea
that her butler had brought.

"I'm afraid they make the house rather like a museum of natural
history," she answered. "Yes, they are all Kevin's, or nearly all.
There are a few of mine among them."

He looked at her in open admiration.

"Oh, you shoot? How splendid!" he said. "Have you ever got a tiger?"

"A couple," she replied, smiling.

"I envy you awfully," he said. "I've never even seen one--out of a
cage."

"Well, if you are keen on shooting, Mr. Wargrave, you ought to have
little difficulty in bagging a tiger or two before long," she said.

"I'd love to have the chance of going after big game. I'm hoping for it
here. Shall I? I've never had any, although I've shot a panther or two
and a few black buck and _chinkara_."

"You will have every opportunity of good sport here. Neither of the
other two Europeans, your Commanding Officer and the doctor of your
detachment, go in for it, the latter because his sight is very bad,
Major Hunt because he doesn't care for it. I'm sure my husband will be
glad to take you out with him; and nobody in the whole Terai knows more
about big game than he."

"By Jove; how ripping," exclaimed Frank eagerly. "Would he?"

"I'm sure he would. He'll be only too delighted to have someone for
company. I used to go with him always, until my babies came. Now Kevin
has no one but Badshah."

"Badshah? Oh, yes, that ripping elephant. I don't know much about those
animals, but isn't it unusual for him to have only a single tusk?"

"Yes; Badshah is what the natives call a 'Gunesh.' You know that Gunesh
is the Hindu God of Wisdom and is represented as having an elephant's
head with only the right tusk? Consequently any of these animals born
with a single tusk, and that the right, is considered sacred and looked
upon as a god."

"One of the _mahouts_ said that the Hindus here regard your husband as
one, too," said Frank, "and he seemed inclined to believe it himself. I
like the name they've given Colonel Dermot--Durro Mut Sahib, Fear Not
Sahib."

A look of pride came in the young wife's eyes as she repeated the name
softly to herself.

"Fear Not Sahib. Yes, it suits him." Then aloud she continued:

"I think you'll like my husband, Mr. Wargrave. All men do. He's a man's
man. The hill and jungle people worship him. He understands them. Ah!
here he is, I think."

Her face brightened, and Frank saw the light of love shine in her eyes
as s