his face?"

"I shall write to the papers."

"Sort of thing Lennox and Keeling are always doing," said Charteris
carelessly. "Not quite our style, eh? But if your conscience impels
you to ruin your own career and justify the Brigadier's dislike of you,
I suppose I can't prevent it."

"But think what he has sacrificed! Sher Singh will raise the country,
bring down the Granthi army upon us, perhaps----"

"It's quite possible. But what I don't see is how your writing to the
papers is going to prevent it."

"It might lead to---- Hang it, Bob! is the fellow to go unpunished?"

"Won't he be punished enough when the story of Sher Singh's escape gets
about--not to speak of the additional trouble we may expect here? Hal,
old boy, let him alone. If you don't, you'll be sorry when you're
yourself again."

"For you to urge patience upon me is a novelty," said Gerrard, rather
bitterly, but his step was less resolute as he tramped about the tent.
Suddenly he sat down opposite Charteris. "Bob, I begin to think you
are not so very far wrong. At any rate I'll wait before doing it.
Who's that out there?" he cried sharply, as a shadow moved outside.

"Heaven-born!" Rukn-ud-din rose from his crouching position and
saluted in the doorway. "It was told in the ears of this slave that
your honour was very wrathful concerning the escape of the
brother-slayer, and he presumed to approach unbidden with news."

"And what is the news?" demanded Gerrard, still ruffled.

"That the man who escaped was not Rajah Sher Singh at all, sahib."

"What! you mean that he is among the prisoners?"

"Not so, sahib. He has never left the city."

"But what--what reason have you for thinking so?"

"Does your honour think that the men who have been led by Sher Singh
into their present evil case would permit him to forsake them? Surely
they would hold him fast."

"No doubt they would if they could, but I imagine he has given them the
slip. Would he send his wife away without him?"

"Sahib, the woman says she is the Rani, but I think she is merely a
slave-girl playing a part. If the Rajah wished the troops of the
Company to believe he had escaped, would he not have devised just such
a plot as this, sending forth a party intended for capture, that they
might bear the news?"

"It struck me as so characteristic of Sher Singh to sneak away and
leave his women to be captured that I should never have thought of
doubting it," said Gerrard i