she looked at Jaimihr's back to avoid the sight of what Alwa was
seeing fit to do. And with all the woman in her she pitied the prisoner,
who had said no less than truth when he claimed to have killed a man for
her.

She knew that he would have killed a thousand men for her with equal
generosity and equal disregard of what she thought was right, and she
did not doubt that he would think himself both justified and worthy of
renown for doing it. She could have begged his release that minute,
had she thought for an instant that Alwa would consent, and but for
Cunningham. She had grown aware of Cunningham's gray eyes, staring
straight at her--summing her up--reading her. And she became conscious
of the fact that she had met a man whose leave she would like to ask
before deciding to act.

The mental acknowledgment brought relief for a few seconds. She was
tired. The woman in here went out to the man in Cunningham, and she
welcomed a protector. Then the Scots blood raced to the assistance of
the woman, and she bridled instantly. Who, then, was this chance-met
jackanapes, that she should lean on him or look to him for guidance?

The rebellion that had made her disobey her father back in Howrah
City--the spirit that had kept her in Howrah City and had given Jaimihr
back cool stare for stare--rallied her to resist--to ridicule--to rival
Cunningham's pretensions. He saw her flush beneath his gaze, and turned
away to where Mahommed Gunga watched from the parapet.

The leaders of Jaimihr's calvary were arguing. They could be seen
gathered together out of rifle-shot but in full view of Alwa's rock, and
from their gestures they seemed to be considering the feasibility of an
attack.

But it needed no warrior--it needed less even than ordinary
intelligence--to know that as few as forty men could hold that fastness
against two thousand. Eight hundred would have no chance against it.
Even two thousand would need engineers, and ordnance, as well as plans.

Presently half of the little army rode away, back toward Howrah City,
and the other half proceeded to bivouac where they could watch the
iron-shuttered entrance and cut off the little garrison from all
communication or assistance.

"We might as well resume our conference," suggested Alwa, with the
courtly air of a man just arisen from a chair. No one who had not seen
him ride would have dreamed that he was fresh from snatching a prisoner
at the bottom of a neck-breaking defile.