lavi. Then Lumsden brought his fist down heavily
on the table before him and said--

"That's the rascal I saw at Lahore a few months ago, without a doubt--a
tall, lean, lantern-jawed fellow with a beak like the old Duke's. They
told me he seemed to be very busy, though no one knew what his business
was. Now, Ahmed, could you judge by what you heard whether this fakir
had spoken to any other men in the corps?"

"I do not think he had, sahib. He was persuading these men to speak to
the others."

"Very well. Go on with your story."

Ahmed repeated, as nearly as he could remember them, the actual words
used by the fakir, and then described how he had been seized and
carried, bound, into the tent, and lay gagged while his captors
discussed how they should dispose of him. When he had related the manner
in which he had set the hut on fire, Lumsden looked pleased.

"It was a good thought, and cleverly done, my lad. That's the kind of
thing I like to see in my Guides--quickness, decision, willingness to
take risks. I shall keep my eye on you. But now, you fellows," he added
in English, the other officers having entered the room, "what are we to
do about an explanation? The men will be desperately excited, you may be
sure; those three scoundrels must be marked off as deserters, and Ahmed
must have some tale for the rest of the men."

"Say they were in a funk at burning down the hut," suggested Lieutenant
Battye.

"Won't wash, Quintin. The punishment would only be stopping of leave or
something of that kind: none of the men would run away from that."

"Ask the youngster," said the adjutant. "These Pathans are good at fairy
tales."

The question was put to Ahmed.

"It might be done thus, sahib," said the boy. "The fakir was not a true
fakir. He is one Minghal, once chief of Mandan, and we blew up his tower
and captured his village."

"I remember. Sherdil told me of that little piece of trickery--a box of
porcelain from Delhi, eh? Well?"

"He is my enemy, sahib. We could say that he came to kill me, and indeed
he tried to stick his knife into me just before Hawes Sahib came, but I
kicked him down. The rest might be told even as it happened, except for
what the fakir said."

"Very good. An excellent notion: you others agree? You shall tell them
that. Now get to your hut: you have done very well."

Ahmed saluted and went away. He found Sherdil awaiting him in great
excitement. The story he told seemed perfectly convi