Part 18 (1/2)

”Can you see those, babuji? See them? Then earn them!”

”Oh, my God, sahib, I have positivelee earned a lakh of rupees this night already!”

”Where was Risaldar-Major Ranjoor Singh when he-”

Footsteps were approaching-undoubtedly a guard on his way to investigate The babu seeton's impatience

”Sahib” he said, ”I a family of wife and children all dependent Is that rupees twenty? I would graciously accept saue!”

The steps came nearer

”I was on my way to D Squadron quarters, sahib, to narrate story and pass begging bowl Total price of story rupees twenty Or else the sahib ratis with full account of evening's anizing an officer, the men halted a few paces away

”Sahib, for suue for twenty years, unless in meantiton; and the babu's fingers shut tight on the ton ”Put this babu out into the street!”

”Good night, sahib!” said the babu ”Kindlee present my serious respects to the colonel sahib Salaaone into the darkness

The Four Winds coo, (Ye wise o' the world, oh, listen ye!), Whispering, whistling what they know, Wise, since wandering made them so (Ye stay-at-homes, oh, listen ye!)

Ever they seek and sift and pry- Listening here, and hurrying by- Restless, ceaseless-knohy?

(Then, wise o' the world, oh, listen ye!) The goal of the search of the hurrying wind Is the key to the maze of a woman's mind, (And there is no key! Oh, listen ye!) YASMINI'S SONG

CHAPTER VIII

So in a darkness that grew blacker everyhis lantern and found his way toward D Squadron's quarters He felt rather pleased with himself From his own point of vieould have rather enjoyed to have a story anent hio the round of barracks-withpart left out-but he realized that it would not do at all to have Colonel Kirby's na of the sort, and he rather flattered hi blackmailed by him

”Got to ad to hum ”One day, if the war doesn't account for me, I'll come back and take a fall out of that babu Hallo-what's that? Who in thunder-who's waking up the horses at this unearthly hour? Sick horse, I suppose Why don't they get hian to hurry A light in stables close to ht was not to be accounted for on any other supposition than an accident or serious eency, and if there were either it was his affair as adjutant to know all the facts at once

”What's going on in there?” he shouted in a voice of authority while he was yet twenty yards away

But there was no answer He could hear a horse plunge, but nothing htway decided

But there was no cast horse, as he are thelines of sleepy brutes that whickered their protest against interrupted sleep At the far end he could see that twohorse fiercely resented their unseasonable attentions to hith of the stable, and presently recognized Bagh, Ranjoor Singh's charger

”What are you groo him for at this hour?” he demanded