to you."

"But--sahib--huzoor--it is impossible. You have seen the cavalry below.
How can you--how could you get away?"

"Unless I am your prisoner I shall certainly leave this place at once.
The only other condition on which I will stay here is that you pledge
your allegiance to the Company and take my orders."

"Sahib, this is--why--huzoor--"

Alwa looked over to Mahommed Gunga and raised his eyebrows eloquently.

"I obey him! I go with him!" growled Mahommed Gunga.

"Sahib, I would like time to think this over."

"How much time? I thought you quick-witted when you made Jaimihr
prisoner. Has that small success undermined your power of decision? I
know my mind. Mahommed Gunga knows his, Alwa-sahib."

"I ask an hour. There are many points I must consider. There is the
prisoner for one thing."

"You can hand him over to the custody of the first British column we
can get in touch with, Alwa-sahib. That will relieve you of further
responsibility to Howrah and will insure a fair trial of any issue there
may be between yourself and Jaimihr."

Alwa scowled. No Rajput likes the thought of litigation where affairs
of honor are concerned. He felt he would prefer to keep Jaimihr prisoner
for the present.

"Also, sahib"--fresh facets of the situation kept appearing to him as he
sparred for time--"with Jaimihr in a cage I can drive a bargain with his
brother. While I keep him in the cage, Howrah must respect my wishes for
fear lest otherwise I loose Jaimihr to be a thorn in his side anew. If I
hand him to the British, Howrah will know that he is safe and altogether
out of harm's way; then he will recall what he may choose to consider
insolence of mine; and then--"

"Oh, well--consider it!" said Cunningham, saluting him and making for
the door, close followed by Mahommed Gunga. The two went out and it
left Alwa to stride up and down alone--to wrestle between desire and
circumspection--to weigh uncomfortable fact with fact--and to curse his
wits that could not settle on the wisest and most creditable course.
They turned into another chamber of the tunnelled rock, and there until
long after the hour of law allowed to Alwa they discussed the situation
too.

"The point was well taken, sahib," said Mahommed Gunga, "but he should
have been handled rather less abruptly."

"Eh?"

"Rather less abruptly, sahib."

"Oh! Well--if his mind isn't clear as to which side he'll fight on, I
don't want him, and that's all!" said C