waved yer hand she'd a
gone away with a small bit of consolation and comfort."

"By the way, Ryan, what did you mean by saying you were a magician?"

"Oh, that was only a bit of a boast, sir. I know a few tricks I learnt
in the regiment; one of the privates was a professional conjurer and
mighty clever when sober. When I showed off one or two little tricks
with stones, or buttons, or bits of string, the Burmans were sure I was
a real wizard, and looked up to me, so they did, and then the birds and
animals being so friendly--I was always so much at my ease with them,
and the childher--they said I cast _spells_!"

The steerage passengers were not a little surprised to note the
forgathering of a first-class passenger with this odd reserved person
(whose shaven head was associated in their opinion with the interior of
Rangoon jail). Nor was this all; now and then a remarkably pretty
young lady accompanied the said first-class passenger and brought
fruit, and books, and cakes, and the three appeared to be on the best
of terms. The _pongye_ and Shafto had many long talks together; they
discussed life among the Burmese, the prospects of war, the changes
that might awake and shake the world, and, appropriate supplement to
the topic of war, more than once they spoke of death.

"I've been so long with the Buddhists that the fear of the grave is
wore out of me," said Ryan; "I'd a'most as soon be dead as not--it's
only another new life--ye just step in, an' meet yer old friends. I
suppose, sir, you do not go along with me there."

"No," replied Shafto, who had all an Englishman's shrinking reluctance
to discuss his belief, or his inner life; "yours is a nice easy
path--too good to be true, I'm afraid. My creed is, to do our best, to
help other people, and to take what comes."

"Goodness knows you have helped me, Mr. Shafto"--and the _pongye_ drew
back a step and looked at him queerly--"what with saving me life and
then makin' sort o' friends with me--as man to man--your kindness will
stand in me memory till the clay is over me!"

Shafto and the _pongye_ separated at Marseilles; the latter went round
by the Bay, whilst Mrs. Gregory and her party travelled overland, and
they did not meet again for nearly two years.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

SERGEANT-MAJOR RYAN

Many months later, on a clear February night, Shafto and Tremenheere
stood together outside Headquarters, "somewhere in France," anxiously
observing the signs