ch, but don't harm him! I am quite ready to ride
with you, now, if you like. I suppose you have horses? But I would
rather die than think that a man was put to the torture to save me! Life
isn't worth that price!"

She spoke rapidly, urging him with every argument she knew; but the grim
old Mohammedan shook his head.

"Better die here," he answered her, "than on the road! No, memsahib.
With thirteen blades behind me, I could reach Jundhra, or at least make
a bold attempt; but single-handed, and with you to guard, the feat is
impossible. This dog of a Hindu here knows of some hiding-place. Let him
speak!"

His hand went to his sword again, and his eyes flashed.

"Listen, heavenborn! I am no torturer of priests by trade! It is not my
life that I would save!"

"I know that, Mahommed Khan! I respect your motive. It's the method that
I can't tolerate."

The Risaldar drew his arm away from her and began to pace the room.
The High Priest instantly began to speak to Ruth, whispering to her
hurriedly in Hindustanee, but she was too little acquainted with the
language to understand him.

"And I," said the Risaldar's half-brother suddenly, "am I of no further
use?"

"I had forgotten thee!" exclaimed the Risaldar.

They spoke together quickly in their own language, drawing aside and
muttering to each other. It was plain that the half-brother was
making some suggestion and that the Risaldar was questioning him and
cross-examining him about his plan, but neither Ruth nor the High Priest
could understand a word that either of them said. At the end of two
minutes or more, the Risaldar gave an order of some kind and the
half-brother grunted and left the room without another word, closing
the door noiselessly behind him. The Risaldar locked it again from the
inside and drew the bolt.

"We have made another plan, heavenborn!" he announced mysteriously.

"Then--then--you won't hurt this priest?"

"Not yet," said the Risaldar. "He may be useful!"

"Won't you unbind him, then? Look! His wrists and ankles are all
swollen."

"Let the dog swell!" he grunted.

But Ruth stuck to her point and made him loosen the bonds a little.

"A man lives and learns!" swore the Risaldar. "Such as he were cast
into dungeons in my day, to feed on their own bellies until they had had
enough of life!"

"The times have changed!" said Ruth.

The Risaldar looked out through the window toward the red glow on the
sky-line.

"Ha! Changed, have