"No," said the rajah, "not treachery. I have held my hand. I would not join, but I could not go against the people." "But why--why have the men mutinied?" cried Brace, as the doctor and my companions listened excitedly. "Because they were told," replied the rajah. "Can you not see? The storm has been gathering for years, and now it is spreading fast. The great Koompanni is no more, and their people are being scattered like the dust." "What I have always feared," muttered the doctor. "And you call yourself my friend--the friend of the officers who have welcomed you at our mess, whose hands you have pressed a hundred times." "Yes," said the rajah, with a grave, sad smile, "and I have proved that I am your friend." "But you owned that you knew of the mutiny." "Yes, and asked you and the other English officers here to-day." "To enable the men to seize the barracks." "No; to save your lives," said the rajah. "Those who came lived; those who stayed away are dead." Brace looked at him coldly, and then turned to us. "Quick!" he said, "let's mount and get back. Help the wounded man. Doctor, you will ride with him?" "Of course." "What are you going to do?" said the rajah, quickly. "Go back to Rajgunge," said Brace, sternly. "To certain death?" "To bring these madmen to their senses. Rajah, you will let the hathees bear us back?" "To my place? Yes. No further." "What?" "I have saved your lives, and must try and keep you from harm. I cannot let you have the hathees. I will not fight against the Koompanni. It has always been just to me, but I cannot, I dare not, fight against the people of my country." "Then we shall take them," said Brace, sternly. "Quick, make ready. Doctor, mount that small beast with the wounded man, and go first. We will cover your retreat, if any one dares to stop us." The doctor prepared to mount without a word, and we pressed up to the huge elephant that the doctor and I had ridden; but the rajah passed his rifle to one of his men and came to us. "Don't be so mad, Captain Brace," he said quietly, "I tell you I am your friend." "No. You are with the enemy, sir. Stand back." "No. I will not see you go straight to your death like that; neither will I give my life by supplying you with my hathees. It would be death to me and mine." "Stand back, sir." "Speak to him, Vincent," said the rajah. "Tell him I must order my people to stop you. It is madness--death; you against all my people." Brace stopped short. "You will order your men to fight," he said; "in other words, you join in the revolt against your Queen." The rajah smiled, and, with true Eastern cunning, paid-- "I shall order my men to protect their chiefs property. Those are my hathees. They shall not go and show the men who have risen that I have helped you. Come, be wise. Stop here, and I will give you refuge. Where can you flee better?" "To where men are faithful to their Queen."