Part 45 (1/2)

”Act quickly,” advised Ahmed; ”one way or the other Umballa will throw his e enough for a rat to crawl through And he will fight like a rat this time; mark me”

Ramabai paused suddenly in front of his wife and sal queen It is for you to say what shall be done I had in h cackled ironically

”Do not dream,” said Ahmed ”Common sense should tell you that there can be no republic in Allaha Thereless Your Majesty, speak,” he added, salaa before Pundita

She looked wildly about the roo to read the faces of her white friends; but their expressions were like stone iuidance

”Is the life of a decrepit old h, ”worth the lives of these white people who love and respect you?”

Pundita rose and placed her hands upon her husband's shoulders

”We owe them our lives Strike, Ramabai; but only if our need deh ”I'ht I will buy chupatties and pass them about, as they did in my father's time at Delhi, in the Great Mutiny”

And he vanished

Have you ever witnessed the swar of bees? Have you ever heard the huht

At every intersection of streets and passages there were groups, buzzing and gesticulating In the gutters the cocoanut oil la weird shadows upon the walls; and squatting about these lamps the fruit sellers and candy sellers and cobblers and tailors jabbered and droned Light women, with their painted faces, went abroad boldly

And there was but one word on all these tongues: Magic!

Could any huh what this white wootten Goddess They knew that, and U them

Whenever they uttered his name they spat to cleanse their mouths of the defileroups of the speech with the light woutters

All these things Lal Singh saw and heard andthe chosen and told them to hold themselves in readiness, as the hour was near at hand Followed the clinking of gunlocks and the rattle of cartridges A thousand fierce youths, ready for anything, death or loot or the beauties of the zenanas For patriotisely upon what treasures onefro? A servant would call and ask for chupatties Good And the arden It ell They would be ready

Flicker-flicker danced the lights; flicker-flicker went the tongues

And the peaceful oriental stars looked down serenely

U with the fires of er cae Contrary to Ahmed's expectations, Umballa did not believe that his enee in the house of Ra out of the city atched, the colonel's bungalow and even the ruins of Bruce's ca, and another; and Ue

Ramabai made his preparations in case the hunters entered the house

He opened a secret door which led into a large gallery, dim and dusty but still beautiful Ancient armor covered the walls; armor of the days when there existed in Delhi a peacock throne; arold and silver and turquoise, and there were jewel-incrusted swords and daggers, a blazing helmet which one of Pundita's ancestors had hen the Great Khan ca down from China

”Here,” said Raht search for days without learning this room existed There will be no need to re”