uar. As where it passed
through the forest accidents to it from trees knocked down by elephants or
brought down by natural causes were frequent, it was impossible to discover
the truth, but the fact that nearly all the telegraph officials were
Bengali Brahmins made Dermot doubtful. But he was able to report the
happenings to Simla by cipher messages over the line.

Parker was furious because the information had failed to reach him. He had
missed the opportunity of marching a party of his men down to the rescue of
Miss Daleham and his commanding officer, and he was not consoled by the
latter pointing out to him that it would have been impossible for him to
have arrived in time for the fight.

Two days after Dermot's return to the Fort he was informed that three
Bhuttias wanted to see him. On going out on to the verandah of his bungalow
he found an old man whom he recognised as the headman of a mountain village
just inside the British border, ten miles from Ranga Duar. Beside him stood
two sturdy young Bhuttias with a hang-dog expression on their Mongol-like
faces.

The headman, who was one of those in Dermot's pay, saluted and, dragging
forward his two companions, bade them say what they had come there to say.
Each of the young men pulled out of the breast of his jacket a little
cloth-wrapped parcel, and, opening it, poured a stream of bright silver
rupees at the feet of the astonished Major. Then they threw themselves on
their knees before him, touched the ground with their foreheads, and
implored his pardon, saying that they had sinned against him in ignorance
and offered in atonement the price of their crime.

Dermot turned enquiringly to the headman, who explained that the two had
taken part in the carrying off of the white _mem_, and being now convinced
that they had in so doing offended a very powerful being--god or devil--had
come to implore his pardon.

Their story was soon told. They said that they had been approached by a
certain Bhuttia who, formerly residing in British territory, had been
forced to flee to Bhutan by reason of his many crimes. Nevertheless, he
made frequent secret visits across the border. For fifty rupees--a princely
sum to them--he induced them to agree to join with others in carrying off
Miss Daleham. They found subsequently that the real leader of the
enterprise was a Hindu masquerading as a Bhuttia.

When they had succeeded in their object they were directed to go to a
certain spot