the Raja's guards carry. Say nothing as to the expected
one, but let your eyes do all the questioning."

Hunsa departed on his mission, and even then the villagers could be
seen assembled between the Bagrees and the mud huts, watching curiously
the encampment.

"Sookdee," Ajeet said, "if we can rouse the anger of the _patil_--"

The Jamadar laughed. "If you insist upon the payment of silver you
will accomplish that, Ajeet."

Ajeet touched his slim fingers to Sookdee's arm: "Do not forget,
Jamadar--call me Raja. But as to the village; if we anger them they
will not entertain the merchant; they will not let him rest in the
village. And also if they are of an evil temper we will warn the
merchant that they are thieves who will cut his throat and rob him. We
will give him the protection of our numbers."

"If the merchant is fat--and when they attain wealth they always become
fat--he will be happy with us, Raja, thinking perhaps that he will
escape a gift of money the _patil_ would exact."

"Yes," Ajeet Singh answered, "we will ask him for nothing when he
departs."

After a time Hunsa was seen approaching, and with him the
grey-whiskered _patil_.

The latter was a commoner. He suggested a black-faced, grey-whiskered
monkey of the jungles. Indeed the pair were an anthropoid couple,
Hunsa the gorilla, and the headman an ape. Behind them straggled a
dozen villagers, men armed with long ironwood sticks of combat.

The headman salaamed the yogi and Ajeet, saying, "This is but a poor
place for holy men and the Raja to rest, for the water is bad and
famine is upon us."

"A liar, and the son of a wild ass," declared Ajeet promptly. "Give to
this saint the gift of silver, lest he put the anger of Kali upon you,
and call upon her of the fiery furnace in the sacred hills to destroy
your houses. Also send fowl and grain, and think yourself favoured of
Kali that you make offering to such a holy one, and to a Raja who is in
favour with Sindhia."

But the villager had no intention of parting with worldly goods if he
could get out of it. He expostulated, enlarged upon his poverty,
rubbed dust upon his forehead, and called upon the gods to destroy him
if he had a breakfast in the whole village for himself and people,
declaring solemnly; "By my Junwa!"--though he wore no sacred
thread,--"there is no food for man or horse in the village." Then he
waxed angry, asking indignantly, who were these stragglers upon the
ro