ands
something out of the way, his eyes flashing the while with passionate
rage and deadly hate.

VIII

THE PAMIRS

In vain did Heideck, on the day following the night-attack, wait for a
message from Edith, giving him an opportunity of seeing her again. He
was prepared to be taken to task by Irwin on account of his evening
visit at the villa. But the Captain did not show himself.

In the early morning Heideck had been summoned to the Colonel to report
on the incident of the preceding night. The conversation had been short,
and Heideck gained the impression that the Colonel observed a studied
reserve in his questions.

He evidently desired the German to believe that in his own conviction
they had only to deal with bold burglars, who had acted on their own
responsibility. He mentioned quite incidentally that the dead man
had been recognised as one of the Maharajah's bodyguard. To Heideck's
inquiry whether the killing of the man could involve him in difficulties
with the civil authorities, the Colonel answered with a decisive--

"No. You acted in justifiable self-defence in shooting the fellow
down. I give you my word, you will neither be troubled about it by the
authorities nor by the Maharajah."

His inquiry after Mrs. Irwin's health was also satisfactorily answered.

"The lady, I am glad to say, is in the best of health," said the
Colonel. "She has admirable courage."

The next morning again, Captain Irwin neither made his appearance nor
sent any message. Heideck and Prince Tchajawadse were sitting in their
bungalow at breakfast discussing the important intelligence brought by
the morning papers.

The India Times declared that Russia had infringed the treaties of
London by her invasion of Afghanistan, and that England was thus
justified, nay compelled, to send an army to Afghanistan. It was
earnestly to be hoped that peaceful negotiations would succeed in
averting the threatened conflict. But should the Russian army not return
to Turkestan, England also would be obliged to have recourse to strong
measures. An English force would occupy Afghanistan, and compel the
Ameer, as an ally of the Indian Government, to fulfil his obligations.
To provide for all contingencies, a strong fleet was being fitted out in
the harbours of Portsmouth and Plymouth to proceed to the Baltic at the
right moment.

"Still more significant than this," said Heideck, "is the fact that the
two and a half per cent. Consols were