"It were better, Sirdar Sahib, that I myself travelled to Mazaran to procure it, for our people are distrustful of strangers." Murad Afzul laughed evilly. "But we are doubly so, O worshipper of debauched idols," he said. "So thou wouldst fain fare forth thyself? Ha, ha, then how long would it be before we beheld thee again, or one single one of the ten thousand rupees?" "Why, as soon as I could collect them, and to do that I would spare no pains, no trouble, Sirdar Sahib, although it would leave me a poor man, and in debt for life," replied Chand Lall, eagerly thinking, poor fool, that his jailor was going to set him free on so slender a security as his bare word. But the shout of laughter that went up from all who heard quickly undeceived him. "Who having a caged bird of value turns that bird loose to stretch his wings in the hope that it will return to its cage?" said the chief. "Thou art to us a caged bird of value, thou eater of money--wherefore we keep thee until thou hast no further value. Show him," he added, turning to his followers. In obedience to this somewhat mysterious mandate one of them turned and dived into a cleft, producing therefrom an object which he gleefully unrolled, and held up before the gaze of the horrified captive--and well, indeed, might the latter quake, for it was the skin of a man. It had been most deftly taken off. Face, head, ears--everything in fact. Staring at the horrid thing, Chand Lall felt his very marrow melt within him. "See," said Murad Afzul. "He did not die, even then. He lived to taste of fire and boiling ghee." And the rest of the band laughed like fiends, but the wretched Hindu covered his face and shook. "Well mayst thou tremble," went on his pitiless tormentor. "For should Ibrahim return without ten thousand rupees, or not return at all, by the setting of the third sun, thine own skin shall dry beside that one." The victim uttered a loud cry. "The third sun! Why, Sirdar Sahib, that will be impossible. I can never have so much money collected in so short a time. Make it the sixth sun." Murad Afzul consulted a moment with his followers. Then he said,-- "Allah is merciful, and so, too, will I be. I will say then by the setting of the fifth sun after this one. Yet try not to play us any false trick, thou dog, for it will be useless, and for what it will mean to thyself, look on yonder and be assured," and, as though to emphasise the chief's words, he who held the horrible human skin shook it warningly and suggestively in the face of the thoroughly terrified hostage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Political Agent, having dined well in his evening camp, was going over some official papers by the light of the tent lamp. "Oh, Sunt Singh," he said, looking up as a chuprassi entered, "what became of that trader who was with us? I didn't see him when we first camped."