r 'im as took Peters. 'E
walked strite up to 'im, an' "Ware is the burra[9] sahib?" says 'e.
Peters sends 'im into the guard tent to me as 'e passed on his
beat, and pris'ner says "YOU ain't the burra sahib," says he. Then
I says to pris'ner, "You bito[10] an' give an account of yerself,"
says I. Says 'e quite 'aughty like, "I'll account fer myself to
the burra sahib," an' wouldn't take no chaff. But 'e bitoes, an'
curls 'isself up in the sand, an' goes sound asleep in no time--an'
'ere 'e is, sir.'

[9] 'Principal.'

[10] 'Sit down on the ground.'

'Also,' corrected Sunni, 'he gave me some coffee. He is a good
man. Are you the burra sahib?' he asked the Colonel.

But Colonel Starr was not in a mood to answer questions regarding
his dignity. He looked at the queer slender figure before him, in
its torn coat of embroidered silk, and its narrow, shapeless, dirty
cotton trousers; and especially he looked at the boy's hair and
eyes--his wavy yellow hair and his blue eyes.

'You are not a Rajput, you are an English boy,' he said finally,
with amazed conviction.

At another time the Colonel would have been wild with excitement at
such a discovery, but for the moment his mind was full of graver
things. In an hour he meant to attack Lalpore. He dismissed his
kindling enthusiasm, and added simply, 'How came you here?'

'I came by a rope from the palace to the pipal-tree, and thence to
the south wall, and thence to the river bed. It was not hard.
Knowing the shallows of the river, I arrived quite easily by
wading.'

'You come from the fort? Are there any other English there?' The
Colonel's voice was quick and eager.

'Not even one! Ee-Wobbis was there, but he is killed.'

'Ah!' said Colonel Starr. 'When was he killed?'

'In the evening on the tenth day of the month. I do not properly
know for why. It was not the Maharajah,' added Sunni quickly; 'it
was Maun Rao. Ee-Wobbis was my countryman, and I hate Maun Rao.'

The orderly came for the final message that was to be sent to the
Maharajah. Colonel Starr told him it would be ready in half an
hour.

'Have they given you any breakfast?' he asked.

'No, thank you--not yet,' answered Sunni politely.

The Colonel wrote an order, and gave it to Thomas Jones. 'Be
smart,' he added.

Until Thomas Jones returned with some bread and bacon and a bowl of
milk, and until Sunni had eaten the bread and drunk the milk, the
Colonel looked at the boy