Part 4 (1/2)
”All the saut Khan-I'm not emotional, or a man of many words I don't trust Indians as a rule! I-but-here-will you shake hands?”
”Certainly, sahib!” said the Rajput ”We be two men, you and I! Why should the one be loyal and the other not?”
”When this is over,” said Brown, ”if it ends the ant, and we're both alive, I'd like to call myself your friend!”
”I have always been your friend, sahib, and you ave hi-water and carried him in to Bholat on your shoulder, twenty miles or more”
”Oh, as for that-any other !”
”Strange that when a white ut Khan ”That was not nothing, sahib, and you knoas not nothing! You know that from the heat and the exertion you were ill for more than a month afterward And you know that there were others there, of ht have done what you did, and did not!”
”But, hang it all! Why drag up a little thing like this?”
”Because, sahib, I ht have no other opportunity, and-”
”Well? And what?”
”And the Rajput boy who of a reht have been supposed The rule had been passed around the countryside for months past, and every man ned a horse had it stalled safely near him, for use when the hour should come
There were country-ponies and Arabs and Kathiawaris and Khaubulis ae run of theh both best and worst were hidden ahenever possible, good horses were discoverable Within an hour, Bill Broith the aid of his ut Khan, one fit to carry hiainst time the whole of the way to Bholat
The Rajputof a scribbled-out receipt with a cynical smile
”If he cout Khan, ”I-even I, who am penniless-will pay hieant by the hand ”Takeand what has happened Fall back on Bholat at once Hurry! Seize horses or even asses for your ht spur in, wheeled the horse and started across country in the direction of Bholat at a hand-gallop, guiding himself solely by the soldier's sixth sense of direction, and leaving the problem of possible pitfalls to the horse
”If what he says is true,” said Brown, as the clattering hoof-beats died away, ”and I'ive more than a little to have him withround hiues while Juggut Khan was there, because they happened to knon too well to do otherwise He would have snubbed any man who dared to question hione, curiosity could stay no longer within bounds
”What is it, Sergeant? Anything been happening? What's the news? What's that I heard him say about rebellion? They're a rueant!”
”Listen, then Rebellion has broken out The native barracks at Jailpore have been burned, and all the English officers are killed-or so says Juggut Khan He's riding on, to carry the news to General Baines He says that thethis way so to do, then?”
”That's eant-aren't you going back to Bholat? Aren't you going to follow hiht here like rats in a trap!”
”Are you giving orders here?” asked Brown acidly ”Fall in! Coht-ri'-dress Eyes-front Ri'-turn By the left-quick-march! Silence, now! Left! Left! Left!”