"I spoke with two who said he entered by that door-that small door down the passage, sahib, where there is no light. It is a teak door, bolted and with no keyhole on the outside." "Good for you," said Warrington, glancing quickly up and down the wet street, where the lamps gleamed deceptively in pools of running water. There seemed nobody in sight; but that is a bold guess in Delhi, where the shadows all have eyes. He gave a quiet order, and trooper number one passed his reins to number two. "Go and try that door. Kick it in if you can--but be quick, and try not to be noisy!" The trooper swung out of the saddle and obeyed, while Warrington and the other man faced back to back, watching each way against surprise. In India, as in lands less "civilized," the cavalry are not allowed to usurp the functions of police, and the officer or man who tries it does so at his own risk. There came a sound of sudden thundering on teak that ceased after two minutes. "The door is stout. There is no answer from within," said the trooper. "Then wait here on foot," commanded Warrington. "Get under cover and watch. Stay here until you're relieved, unless something particularly worth reporting happens; in that case, hurry and report. For instance"--he hesitated, trying to imagine something out of the unimaginable--"suppose the risaldar-major were to come out, then give him the message and come home with him. But--oh, suppose the place takes fire, or there's a riot, or you hear a fight going on inside--then hurry to barracks--understand?" The wet trooper nodded and saluted. "Get into a shadow, then, and keep as dry as you can," ordered Warrington. "Come on!" he called to the other man. And a second later he was charging through the street as if he rode with despatches through a zone of rifle fire. Behind him clattered a rain-soaked trooper and two horses. Colonel Kirby stepped out of his bathroom just as Warrington arrived, and arranged his white dress-tie before the sitting-room mirror. "Looks fishy to me, sir," said Warrington, hurrying in and standing where the rain from his wet clothes would do least harm. There was a space on the floor between two tiger-skins where the matting was a little threadbare. Messengers, orderlies or servants always stood on that spot. After a moment, however, Kirby's servant brought Warrington a bathroom mat. "How d'ye mean?" Warrington explained. "What did the police say?" "Said they were busy." "Now, I could go to the club," mused Kirby, "and see Hetherington, and have a talk with him, and get him to sign a search-warrant. Armed with that, we could--" "Perhaps persuade a police officer to send two constables with it to-morrow morning!" said Warrington, with a grin. "Yes," said Kirby. "And if we do much on our own account we'll fall foul of the Indian Penal Code, which altereth every week," said Warrington.