stone floor.

"By which way did we come?" asked the Risaldar, staring in amazement
round the walls. There was not a door nor crack, nor any sign of one,
except that a wooden ladder in one corner led to a trapdoor overhead,
and they had certainly not entered by the ladder.

"Nay! That is a secret!" grinned the priest. "He who can may find the
opening! Here can the woman and her servant stay until we need them."

"Here in this place?"

"Where else? No man but I knows of this crypt! The ladder there leads to
another room, where there is yet another ladder, and that one leads out
through a secret door I know of, straight into the temple. Art ready?
There is need for haste!"

"Wait!" said the Risaldar.

"These soldiers!" sneered the priest. "It is wait--wait--wait with them,
always!"

"Hast thou a son."

"Ay! But what of it?"

"I said 'hast,' not 'hadst'!"

"Ay. I have a son.

"Where?"

"In one of the temple-chambers overhead."

"Nay, priest! Thy son lies gagged and bound and trussed in a place I
know of, and which thou dost not know!"

"Since when?"

"Since by my orders he was laid there."

"Thou art the devil! Thou liest, Rajput!"

"So? Go seek thy son!"

The priest's face had blanched beneath the olive of his skin, and he
stared at Mahommed Khan through distended eyes.

"My son!" he muttered.

"Aye! Thy priestling! He stays where he is, as hostage, until my return!
Also the heavenborn stays here! If, on my return, I find the heavenborn
safe and sound, I will exchange her for thy son--and if not, I will
tear thy son into little pieces before thy eyes, priest! Dost thou
understand?"

"Thou liest! My son is overhead in the temple here!"

"Go seek him, then!"

The priest turned and scampered up the ladder with an agility that was
astonishing in a man of his build and paunch.

"Hanuman should have been thy master!" jeered the Risaldar. "So run the
bandar-log, the monkey-folk!"

But the priest had no time to answer him. He was half frantic with the
sickening fear of a father for his only son. He returned ten minutes
later, panting, and more scared than ever.

"Go, take thy white woman," he exclaimed, "and give me my son back!"

"Nay, priest! Shall I ride with her alone through that horde that
are marching through the gate? I go now for an escort; in
eight--ten--twelve--I know not how many hours, I will return for her,
and then--thy son will be exchanged for her, or he dies thus in many
pie