nt to the lowest pit," replied the khansaman, and passed
on.

"Thou hearest?" said the darwan. "Without doubt he is a good man, and
when Minghal Khan is exalted, Kaluja Dass will be exalted too. He hates
the Feringhis with a terrible hatred, and that is easy to understand,
seeing that it was his kismet to serve them for so many years."

"It is as thou sayest, good darwan. But it seems 'tis an ill time to
bring my wares. Yet I would fain show them to the exalted one at a
convenient season. I will come again, and if it should not please the
great man to see me, I should have some consolation in another talk with
thee. 'Tis not often a poor trader like me meets a man who has seen such
great deeds."

"And done them, banijara. Was I not among those who shot the fools of
Feringhis at the ghat? Wah! One boat that had left the ghat was rowed to
the other side--the pigs of English believed they might yet escape. But
I was there, with my musket, and I fired, and my shot kindled the thatch
that covered the boat, and it burnt with a great blaze. And the boat
grounded in the mud, and I ran down and pulled out of it one of the
English by the hair of his head, and drove my knife into him many times,
and he died, pig that he was--though he did not squeal like a pig; the
English, curse them, never squeal."

Ahmed's blood was boiling. It was one of his own race whom this braggart
menial had killed. He would have liked to end the man's account then and
there, but the coolie was at hand, squatting beside the bale of goods.
For the sake of his mission he could not afford to give rein to his
anger.

"It is an honour to meet one who has done such brave deeds," he said.
"Thou wert better among the soldiers, surely, than at the door of a
house. It is men like thee who are wanted to fight the Feringhis, not
those miserable dogs who went out but lately, horse and foot and guns,
and returned saying that they had not fought because the air did not
agree with them. The king did right to drive them from the city. I will
come again, good darwan, at night-time perhaps, when the work is done;
far be it from me to interfere with thy important duties, and maybe if I
bring some sweetmeats or preserves--delicate things for the palate--thou
wilt deign to partake with me, while thou cheerest me with thy pleasant
talk."

"Gladly will I meet thee," said the darwan, greatly pleased with this
flattery. "Never have I seen so excellent a banijara. Salaam!"