officers in the Company's army? Perhaps in time to
come Sher Singh may leave a descendant to whom we can honourably
confide the secret. But meanwhile, Sher Singh has his accomplices to
pay, and the treasure would come in very handy. I suppose you ain't
labouring under any romantic delusion as to his innocence?"

"It would be hopeless, I fear. If he had merely planned the murder
from here, he would certainly have accorded me the interview I asked
for, so as to secure an unassailable alibi. But I can't help seeing
that unless one of the accomplices confesses, which is highly unlikely,
it will be next to impossible to bring it home to him. Poor little
Kharrak Singh! I give you my word, Bob, I really was most uncommon
fond of that little chap. He used to sit opposite me like little
Dombey--I showed him the picture when last mail came in, and he laughed
like anything--and say the most old-fashioned things. I'm glad Antony
ain't likely to send me back to Agpur. I should be thinking that I saw
him all about the place."

"I'm jolly glad you don't feel yourself pledged to return."

"Sort of nineteenth-century Regulus? Well, that'll depend upon my
orders, of course, and I don't take 'em from Sher Singh. Not that we
have had any rupture. I told him quite politely that I could hold no
further communication with him until the Rani was safe at Ranjitgarh,
and that we start to-morrow morning."

"Quite so. Hal, a minute or two ago you paid me a very handsome
compliment. Hang compliments! says I, and show a little confidence.
Will you take my advice, and while making elaborate, even ostentatious,
preparations for starting to-morrow morning, set off tonight instead?"

"My dear fellow, have you gone quite mad?"

"There's a prodigious deal of method in my madness. Say that Sher
Singh, in confab with his friends, or his own uneasy conscience, begins
to perceive the extreme improbability of your returning quietly into
the lion's mouth once you are safely out of it. Do you think he won't
harden his heart like Pharaoh, and refuse to let you go?"

"It's possible, of course. But I fail to see how you would conduct a
moonlight flitting from the heart of his camp."

"That's my artfulness, my dear Hal. We can't hope to slip away
unnoticed, I grant you. But I do believe we can take 'em by surprise,
and walk out before they can combine to stop us. We have the guns, and
the hotties, which would be useful in breaking a pat