ch India's unusualness flows. Delhi has five railway stations with which to cope with latter-day floods of paradoxical necessity;

ny of the stations. In India one or two sidings are nearly always fu

long peace breaks at last and he may justify himself; but in the native lines, where dignity is differently unde

them were open at a very early hour. But even in them-and Englishmen were busy in them-there seemed no excitement. Delhi had found time in a night

ound his thumb and untwisted it incessantly. There was a telephone beside him, and a fair-sized pile of telegraph forms, but beyond that not much to show what his particular business might

s. Who else? Oh, I forgot for the moment. Four, three,

r the man in the drab silk suit twisted his wrinkled face and worked his eyes in a hundred expres

hree of the hill-men who were present, and from the Afridi who was kicked and beaten. All except the Afridi, w

and then hung up the receiver with an ex

this time!" he muttered, beginning

g, long-striding horse. A minute later a high dogcart drew up in the str

hundred, and"-he pulled out his nickel watch-"he's ten minutes earlier than I expected him! M

s red and that he smelt mor

g!" sai

's brought you," sa

h," said Kirby; and the man i

Reconsidered yest

Kirby's eye, that some men seemed to think so like a bird's, trans

I wanted to divulge information, I'm not allowed to. I stretched a point yesterday when I confided in you my suspicions regar

irby. "Is Ranjoor Singh

man in drab pulled his watch out, knocking it on the desk absent-mindedly, as if it were

ou ask?"

ficer or a more loyal gentleman doesn't exist. I want him! I want to know

said the man in drab. "Is

said Kirby. "I'

communicate

N

iment were to ma

I can help it

n't help it, C

sked for, and there can be no char

ou have your ma

ed orders!"

opened

ned when I

O

ked you is Ranjoor Singh

arbiter of Ranjoor Singh's

know!" vowed

hat you have right to ask more than that, Colonel Kirby. Martial law has been decla

and once back again. Then he faced the man

ll give me satisfactory assurance that Ranjoor Singh is being treated as a loyal officer should be, I will ask no

sly, "if you'll tell me what's in your sealed orders-open them and see-I'

urning red as his scalp from the

earnest!" said

his saber in his left hand at an angle that was peculiar to him, an

t a step-and-a-jump. But the sais was not up behind, and Kirby had scarcely settled down to drive before t

g, sir!" he

rently asked, "Who is coming?"

ir

*

neral at breakfast, and was received

isaldar-major, Ranjoor Singh?" asked Kirb

hy

at was after I'd more than half believed him burned to death in a place called the 'House-of-the-Eight-Half-brothers.' He has sent some most extraor

ours murdered yesterda

said

other m

s,

go off to search fo

s tol

ve saved me trouble! Did you put Ranjoor S

es

missing tro

ut S

enter him in

al ser

the general. "How about

by Ranjoor Singh's orders, and my adjutant tell

ral made

table?"

ingto

tram's Own, eh? Ca

t down, while Kirby w

dispose of your own horses to advantage. Two chargers don't seem a large allowance for a commanding off

hought, sir! Too busy

orried a

id the general. "Ranj

ve had of it, except by way of

grace. But now about your horses and priva

attend to that th

barracks. I want you out of the way by noon if possible. We'll send a man down this morning to take charge of whatever any of you want kept, and y

l held out

ir," said Kirby. "A

abou

r-what ab

ave you

that he'll be with his squadron,

as looking at Kirby very closely. "Not sick, are you?" he ask

instantly, and the general pretended to

e fittest to be sent. But I've taken into consideration, too, that I don't want you or your adjutant killed by a cobra in any eve

-by,

g dog-cart. As all good men do, when undeserved ridicule or blame fall

any one should know about the adventure of the night before, and a rising sense of joy in his soldier'

h the general's bungalow from the direction of the bazaar. The babu salaamed profoundly, but Kirby's eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and his thoughts were already deep in the future. He sa

*

ne trunk!" he ordered

ran in fr

and Captain Warrin

onsibility, until his colonel should take charge of a paraded, perfect regiment, and l

ng to take charge of officers' effects. Better have things ready for hi

n, sir?" as

discl

entrain?" ask

Entrain later, at a plac

to himself and to be utt

ve on!" he said, st

ing's re

; and Warrington remained in the

to anybody, of course, abou

, s

she

gton w

u sure

e just had

everence the sex!

ember to keep absolutely silent about it. The best way to help others forget it

word,

o and attend

notice. Everything was ready, as Warrington had boasted, but even an automobile may "stall" for a time in the

rom any one but soldiers. The last minute details that seemed to be nobody's job, and that, therefore, all fell to Warrington because somebod

s inspected 'em, and I've done ditto. There are only thirteen thousand details left un

hem off. There were not even women to wail by the barrack gate, for they marched away

ng ahead, who seemed to know that they were more than just parading. He led them toward the Ajmere Gate, and by the time that the regiment's luggage came

for the "Salt." They marched in the direction least expected of them, three-quarters of a day before their scheduled time, and even "Guppy," the mess bull-terrie

y. While the bullocks, to much tail-twisting and objurgation, labored in the mud in every direction but the right one, Colone

s because she had made him think for a moment of his mother. At all events, the bunch of jasmine flowers that fell into his lap found a w

, with all his thoughts ahead, and there lacked then only

d untiringly to sweat a squadron into shape to Kirby's liking and never once presumed, nor had taken offense at criticism-the man who had been good enough to understand th

a foreign battle-field. Nothing, nothing less than the word of Ranjoor Singh himself, would ever convince him of the man's disloyalty. And he would hav

ar with the best native officer in all India somewhere

with the bullock-man who labored so unavailingly to get the road cleared in a hurry. But to-day, since his thoughts were of

behind a minute or so later, who ch

recognize

ho

oor S

Whe

n who ran out from behind the gate and straightened t

kes you

is squadron-look at them! T

there was no doubt

re still?"

ere-see him? Fellow in white

m. Then he cantered back. The man between the bullock carts h

d Kirby, reining sud

out. He was no more Ra

nel

came from behind the g

rtain he saw a Sikh who stood at the salute. He cantered to the gate, for he would have gi

e to lead his squadron when t

id the tiger, "i

, be seated

ith live bait, an

, be leery

sort to detec

ee walls and a

t, hungriest cu

stop laughing

ap, as I'll show

fell into it.

, be loving

NI'S