In brief, Chumru abused the English with such an air that he was regarded by the rebels as quite an acquisition. They had not learned, as yet, that it was better to shoot a dozen belated friends than permit one spy to win his way through their lines. Watching his opportunity, he slipped off into the bazaar. Now he was quite safe, being one among two hundred thousand. But time was passing; he wanted a horse, and might expect to find the canal bridge closely guarded. Having a true Eastern sense of humor behind that saturnine visage of his, he hit on a plan of surmounting both difficulties with ease. Singling out the first well-mounted and half-intoxicated native officer he met--though, to his credit be it said, he chose a Brahmin subadar of cavalry--he hailed him boldly. "Brother," said he, "I would have speech with thee." Now, Chumru took his life in his hands in this matter. For one wearing the livery of servitude to address a high-caste Brahmin thus was incurring the risk of being sabered then and there. In fact the subadar was so amazed that he glared stupidly at the Mohammedan who greeted him as "brother," and it may be that those fierce eyes looking at him from different angles had a mesmeric effect. "Thou?" he spluttered, reining in his horse, a hardy country-bred, good for fifty miles without bait. "Even I," said Chumru. "I have occupation, but I want help. One will suffice, though there is gold enough for many." "Gold, sayest thou?" "Ay, gold in plenty. The dog of a Feringhi whom I served has had it hidden these two months in the thatch of his house near the Alumbagh. To-day he is safely bottled up there--" he jerked a thumb towards the sullen thunder of the bombardment. "I am a poor man, and I may be stopped if I try to leave the city. Take me up behind thee, brother, and give me safe passage to the bungalow, and behold, we will share treasure of a lakh or more!" The Brahmin's brain was bemused with drink, but it took in two obvious elements of the tale at once. Here was a fortune to be gained by merely cutting a throat at the right moment. "That is good talking," said he. "Mount, friend, and leave me to answer questions." Chumru saw that he had gaged his man rightly, and the evil glint in the subadar's eyes told him the unspoken thought. He climbed up behind the high-peaked saddle and, after the horse had showed his resentment of a double burthen, was taken through the bazaar as rapidly as its thronged streets permitted. Sure enough, the canal bridge was watched. "Whither go ye?" demanded the officer in charge. "To bring in a Feringhi who is in hiding," said the Brahmin. "Shall I send a few men with you?" "Nay, we two are plenty--" this with a laugh.