Part 28 (1/2)
”I have hi in a sack I have hied, so that he can neither speak nor wriggle!”
”Where?”
”Hidden safely”
”I said to bring him here!”
”I could not Listen! That ayah-where is she?”
”Dead! What has the ayah to do with it?”
”This-she was to give a sign She was not to slay She had leave only to take the jewels Her orders were either to wait until she knew by questioning that the section would not return or else, when it had returned, to wait until the n They grow tired of waiting now, for there is news! At Jundhra the rebels are defeated, and at Doonha likewise”
”Ho you this?”
”By listening to the priests' talk while I lay in wait to snare the priestling Nothing is known as yet as to what the guns or garrison at Doonha do, but it is known that they of Jundhra will h Priest, being minded to march out of here and set an ambush on the road”
”They have tithey have time!”
”Aye! And they have fear also! They seek their priest-listen”
There were voices plainly audible in the courtyard down below, and twoBy listening intently they could hear almost what they said, for the stone stairway acted like a whispering-gallery, the voices echoing up it from wall to wall
”Why do they seek hiht elsewhere and not found him; and there is talk-He claimed the memsahib as his share of the plunder They think-”
Mahoe oath beneath his breath
”Have they touched the stables yet?” he demanded
”No, not yet The loot is to be divided evenly a certain of the priests, and no uard there?”
”No No one would steal what the priests claim, and the priests will not trust one another So the horses stand in their stalls unwatched”
The voices down the stairs grew louder, and the sound of footsteps began ascending, slowly and with hesitation
”Quick!” said the Risaldar ”Light hts quickly, and before the steps had reached the landing Mahos:
”Now speak to theo back to their temple and tell theht and shook his head With rescue so near as that, he could see no reason to obey But the hot coal touched him, and a Hindu who may be not at all afraid to die can not stand torture
”I speak!” he answered, writhing
”Speak, then!” said the Risaldar, choosing a larger coal Then, in the priest's language, which none-and least of all a Risaldar-can understand except the priests the his voice into a high, wailing,voice outside the door and he listened with a glowing coal held six inches from his eyes