The aide-de-camp held out his hand, and Colonel Kirby shook it a trifle perfunctorily; he was not much given to display of sentiment. The aide-de-camp saluted, and a minute later the giant car spurned the gravel out from under its rear wheels as it started off to warn another regiment. "So we've got our route!" said Kirby. "And, thank God, we take our own horses!" said Brammle fervently. "Bet you a thousand the other end's Marseilles!" said Warrington. "We're in luck. They'd have mounted us on bus-horses if we hadn't brought our own; we'd have had to ring a bell to start and stop a squadron. Who wouldn't be light cavalry?" Kirby put the sealed letter in an inside pocket. "I'm going to sleep," said Brammle, yawning. "Night, sir!" "Night!" said Kirby; but Warrington stayed on. He went and stood near the window, and when Kirby had seen Brammle to the door, he joined him there. "What now, Warrington?" "Caught 'em grooming Ranjoor Singh's charger in the dark!" "Why?" "Said it was an order from Ranjoor Singh!" "I'm getting tired of this. I don't know what to make of it." "That isn't nearly the worst, sir. Listen to this! Long before Yasmini promised us--before we knelt to save his life and honor--Ranjoor Singh had sent a message to his squadron guaranteein' to be with 'em before the blood runs! Specific guarantee, and no conditions!" "Then--" "Exactly, sir!" "She fooled us, eh?" "D'you suppose she's for or against the government, sir?" "I don't know. Thank God we've got our marching orders! Go and wash your head! And, Warrington--hold your tongue!" Warrington held up his right hand. "So help me, sir!" he grinned, "But will she hold hers?" Westward, into the hungry West, (Oh, listen, wise men, listen ye!) Whirls the East Wind on his quest, Whimpering, worrying, hurrying, lest The light o'ertake him. Listen ye! Mark ye the burden of his sigh: "Westward sinks the sun to die! Westward wing the vultures!"--Aye, (Listen, wise men, listen ye!) The East must lose--the West must gain, For none come back to the East again, Though widows call them! Listen ye! YASMINI'S SONG. CHAPTER IX Now, India is unlike every other country in the world in all particulars, and Delhi is in some respects the very heart through which India's unusualness flows. Delhi has five railway stations with which to cope with latter-day floods of paradoxical necessity; and nobody knew from which railway station troops might be expected to entrain or whither, although Delhi knew that there was war. There did not seem to be anything very much out of the ordinary at any of the stations. In India one or two sidings are nearly always full of empty trains; there did not seem to be more of them than usual.