ished shop
near by. Two mounted police officers made abortive attempts to get a
hearing; and a solitary Indian, perched on an electric standard, well
above the congested mass, vainly harangued and fluttered a white scarf
as signal of pacific intentions. Doubtless one of their 'leaders,' again
making frantic, belated efforts to stem the torrent that he and his kind
had let loose.

And the nightmare effect of the scene was intensified by the oncoming
dusk, by the flare of a single torch hoisted on a pole. It waved
purposefully; and its objective was clear to Roy--the electric supply
wires.

"That brute there's trying to cut off the light!" he exclaimed, turning
sharply in the saddle, only to find that Rose had not even heard him.

She sat stone-still, her face set and strained, as he had seen it after
the tournament. "_There_ he is," she murmured--the words a mere movement
of her lips.

He hated to see her look like that; and putting out a hand, he touched
her arm.

"I don't see him," he said, answering her murmur. "He'll be coming,
though. Not nervous, are you?"

She started at his touch--shrank from it almost; or so he fancied.
"Nervous? No--furious!" Her low tone was as tense as her whole attitude.
"Mud and stones! Good heavens! Why don't they _shoot_?"

"They will--at a pinch," Roy assured her, feeling oddly rebuffed, and as
if he were addressing a stranger. "Stay here. Don't stir. I'll glean a
few details from one of our outlying sowars."

The nearest man available happened to be a Pathan. Recognising Roy, he
saluted, a fighting gleam in his eyes.

"_Wah, wah!_ Sahib! This is not man's work, to sit staring while these
throw words to a pack of mad jackals. On the Border we say, _paili lath;
pechi bhat_.[31] That would soon make an end of this devil's noise."

"True talk," said Roy, secretly approving the man's rough wisdom. "How
long has it been going on?"

"We came late, Sahib, because of the sports; but these have been nearly
one hour. Once the police-_log_ gave buckshot to those on the roofs. How
much use--the Sahib can see. Now they have sent a sowar for the Dep'ty
Sahib. But these would not hear the Lat Sahib himself. One match will
light such a bonfire; but a hundred buckets will not put it out."

Roy assented, ruefully enough. "Is it true there has been big trouble at
Amritsar--burning and killing?"

"_Wah, wah! Shurrum ki bhat._[32] Because he who made all the trouble
may not come into the Pun