More than any other thing, Mahommed Gunga's cheerfulness amazed him. He
resented it. He did not see why the man who had expressed such interest
in the good fortune of his father's son should not be sympathetic now
that his soldier career had been nipped so early in the bud. He began to
lose faith in Mahommed Gunga's wisdom, and was glad when the ex-Risaldar
chose to bring up the rear of the procession instead of riding by his
side.

But behind, in Peshawur, there was one man at least who knew Mahommed
Gunga and his worth, and who refused to let himself be blinded by any
sort of circumstantial evidence. The evidence was black--in black on
white--written by a black-hearted schemer, and delivered by a big, fat
black man, who was utterly road-weary, to the commissioner in person.

The sepoy mutiny that had been planned so carefully had started to take
charge too soon. News had arrived of native regiments whose officers
had been obliged against their will to disarm and disband them, and the
loyalty of other regiments was seriously called in question.

But the men whose blindness was responsible for the possibility of
mutiny were only made blinder by the evidence of coming trouble. With
a dozen courses open to them, any one of which might have saved
the situation, they deliberately chose a thirteenth--two-forked
toboggan-slide into destruction. To prove their misjudged confidence in
the native army, they actually disbanded the irregulars led by Byng
the Brigadier--removed the European soldiers wherever possible
from ammunition-magazine guard-duty, replacing them with native
companies--and reprimanded the men whose clear sight showed them how
events were shaping.

They reprimanded Byng, as though depriving him of his command were not
enough. When he protested, as he had a right to do, they showed him
Jaimihr's letter.

"Mahommed Gunga told you, did he? Look at this!"

The letter, most concisely and pointedly written, considering the
indirect phraseology and caution of the East, deliberately accused
Mahommed Gunga and a certain Alwa, together with all the Rangars of
a whole province, of scheming with Maharajah Howrah to overthrow the
British rule. It recommended the immediate arrest of Mahommed Gunga and
stern measures against the Rangars.

"What do you propose to do about it?" inquired Byng.

"It's out of our province. A copy of this letter has been sent to the
proper quarter, and no doubt the story will be investiga