m in the
name of God and the Guru, and the murderers were calling out _Wa Guru!_
and _Guru-ji ki Fatih!_ as they rushed in. They'll make a religious
business of it, and every Granthi in Granthistan will join Sher Singh
unless he is nipped in the bud."

"Well, but he is nearer Granthistan than we are. Who is going to nip
him in the bud?"

"You and I, if you are game."

"Oh, I'm game to do anything that's feasible."

"Are you game to take a big risk? If Sher Singh is to be kept from
overrunning Granthistan, he must be stopped at once. I believe that
you and I can do it."

"But how? with merely the Habshiabadis and your troops?"

"Precisely. If we march on Agpur, they daren't leave the city
undefended with us in their rear. They have no military genius to see
that the only chance lies in snapping us up before we can unite, and
straining every nerve to do it, and we can get together a large enough
force to give a very good account of anything less than the whole Agpur
army. If we find ourselves faced with that, and luck's against us, we
shall probably go down, but we shall have done it more damage than Sher
Singh can repair before he finds a British force in his country."

"Honestly, Bob, I don't know what to say. Your plan sounds reasonable
enough, but you must see that it's subversive of every rule of military
science."

"Hang military science! If we can confine Sher Singh within the bounds
of his own state, prevent him from throwing down the gauntlet to
British power by invading Granthistan, and make him so anxious about
the safety of Agpur that we keep him there until we can get a siege
train from Farishtabad to batter the walls about his ears, ain't it
worth it?"

"I believe you, my boy! but can we do it? If we try and fail, it means
ruin, utter and complete, for both of us."

"And if we try and succeed, it will save England and India a second
Granthi War."

"Right, Bob; I'll do it. Give us your fist, old boy."

Charteris drew a long breath as they shook hands. "I don't mind
telling you that if you wouldn't come in, I had made up my mind to try
it by myself," he said. "And then, Hal, you might well have talked
about ruin utter and complete. But as it is, why, I am proud to serve
under you, old boy, and if my Darwanis don't give a good account of
themselves under your command, you may call me a Dutchman."

"Under my command? Nonsense, Bob! I am going to serve under you, of
course. Why,