nd his back. And they stood shifting feet and
looking back at him, extremely ill-at-ease.

"What is the specific charge against us?" asked Gooja Singh, for the
men began to thrust him forward. But Ranjoor Singh let no man draw
him from the main point to a lesser one.

"You have leave," said he, "to take one box of cartridges and go!
Gallipoli lies that way!" And he pointed through the rain.

Then the two-and-twenty forgot me and began at once abusing Gooja
Singh, he trying to refute them, and Ranjoor Singh watching them all
with a feeling, I thought, of pity. Tugendheim, trying to make the
ends of his mustaches stand upright in the rain, laughed as if he
thought it a very great joke; but the rest of the men looked
doubtful. I knew they were unwilling to turn their backs on any of
our number, yet afraid to force an issue, for Ranjoor Singh had them
in a quandary. I thought perhaps I might mediate.

"Sahib," said I.

"Silence!" he ordered. So I stepped back to my place, and a dozen
men laughed at me, for which I vowed vengeance. Later when my wrath
had cooled I knew the reprimand and laughter wiped out suspicion of
me, and when my chance came to take vengeance on them I refrained,
although careful to reassert my dignity.

After much argument, Gooja Singh turned his back at last on the
two-and-twenty and saluted Ranjoor Singh with great abasement.

"Sahib," said he, "we have no wish to go one way and you another. We
be of the regiment."

"Ye have set yourselves up to be dictators. Ye have used wild words.
Ye have tried to seduce the rest. Ye have my leave to go!" said
Ranjoor Singh.

"Nay!" said Gooja Singh. "We will not go! We follow the regiment!"

"Will ye follow like dogs that pick up offal, then?" he asked, and
Gooja Singh said, "Nay! We be no dogs, but true men! We be faithful
to the salt, sahib," said he. "We be sorry we offended. We be true
men--true to the salt."

Now, that was the truth. Their fault had lain in not believing their
officer at least as faithful as they and ten times wiser. Every man
in the regiment knew it was truth, and for all that the rain poured
down in torrents, obscuring vision, I could see that the general
feeling was swinging all one way. If I had dared, I would have
touched Ranjoor Singh's elbow, and have whispered to him. But I did
not dare. Nor was there need. The instant he spoke again I knew he
saw clearer than I.

"Ye speak of the salt," said he.

"Aye!" said Gooja S