o-thirds of our revenue!"

"We had had no revenue, except for Cunnigan-bahadur!"

It dawned on Cunningham exactly why and how he came to be there! He
understood now that Mahommed Gunga had told nothing less than truth when
he declared it had been through his scheming, and no other man's,
that he--Cunningham--whose sole thought was to be a soldier, had been
relegated to oblivion and politics! He understood why Byng had signed
the transfer, and he knew--knew--knew--deep down inside him that his
chance had come!

"It seems that another Cunningham is to have the honor of preserving
Rangars' titles for them," he smiled. "How many horsemen could the
Alwa-sahib raise?"

"That would depend!" Alwa was in no mood to commit himself.

"At the most--at a pinch--in case of direst need, and for a cause that
all agreed on?"

"Two thousand."

"Horsed and armed?"

"And ready!"

"And you, Alwa-sahib--are you pledged to fight against the British?"

"Not in so many words. I swore to uphold Howrah on his throne. He is
against the British."

"You swore to help smash his brother, Jaimihr?"

"If I were needed."

"And Jaimihr too is against the British?"

"Jaimihr is for Jaimihr, and has a personal affair with me!"

"I must think," said Cunningham, getting up. "I can think better alone.
D'you mind if I go outside for a while, and come back later to tell you
what I think?"

Alwa arose and held the door open for him--stood and watched him cross
the courtyard--then turned and laughed at Mahommed Gunga.

"Straight over to the woman!" he grinned. "This leader of thine seems in
leading-strings himself already!"

Mahommed Gunga cursed, and cursed again as his own eyes confirmed what
Alwa said.

"I tried him all the ways there are, except that one way!" he declared.
"May Allah forgive my oversight! I should have got him well entangled
with a woman before he reached Peshawur! He should have been
heart-broken by this time--rightly, he should have been desperate with
unrequited love! Byng-bahadur could have managed it! Byng-bahadur would
have managed it, had I thought to advise him!"

He stood, looking over very gloomily at Cunningham, making a dozen
wild plans for getting rid of Miss McClean--by no means forgetting
poison--and the height of Alwa's aerie from the plain below! He would
have been considerably calmer, could he have heard what Cunningham and
Miss McClean were saying.

The missionary was with her now--ill and exhau