the streets--I, who
have led a troop before now? Nay, sahib! A soldier can fight, and can do
little else. When the day comes that the Raj has no more need of him--or
thinks that it has no more need of him--he must either starve or become
a prophet. And his own home is no place for a prophet who would turn his
prophesying into silver coin!"

"Ah! Well-now, tell me! What is your opinion, without reference to what
anybody else may think? You have just seen the massacre at Jailpore,
and you know how many men I have here. And you know the condition of
the road and the number of the mutineers. Would you, if you were in my
place, strike at Jailpore immediately?"

"Nay, sahib. That I would not. I would strike north. And I would strike
so swiftly that the mutineers would wonder whence I came. In Jailpore,
all is over. They have done the harm, and they are in charge there. They
have the powder-magazine in their possession, and the stands of arms,
and the first advantage. Leave them there, then, sahib, and strike where
you are not expected. In Jailpore you would be out of touch. You would
have just that many more miles to march when the time comes--and it has
come, sahib!--to join forces with the next command, and hit hard at the
heart of things."

"And the heart of things is--"

"Delhi!"

"You display a quite amazing knowledge of the game."

"I am a soldier, sahib!"

"You would leave Jailpore, then, to its fate?"

"Jailpore has already met its fate, sahib. The barracks are afire, and
the city has been given over to be looted. Reckon no more with Jailpore!
Reckon only of the others. Listen, sahib! Has any message come from the
next command? No? Then why? Think you that even a local outbreak could
occur without some message being sent to you, and to the next division
south of you? Why has no message come? Where is the next command? The
next command north? Harumpore? Then why is there no news from Harumpore?
I will tell you, sahib."

"You mean, I suppose, that the country is up, in between?"

"You know that it is up, sahib!"

"You think that no message could get through to me?"

"I know that it could not! Else had one already come. My advice to you,
sahib, as one soldier to another and tendered with all respect, is to
up and leave this Bholat. Here, of what use are you? Here you can hold a
small city, until the countryside has time to rise and lay siege to you
and hem you in! Outside of here, you can be a hornet-storm