"Locked up, sahib! Big red seal--much sealing wax, and stamp of police
department, with notice regarding penalty for breaking same, and also
police sentry at door!"
Looking more unlike a Mohammedan street vender than ever, the German
began to pace the room again with truly martial strides, frowning as he
sought through the recesses of his mind for the correct solution of the
problem.
"Listen!" he said, coming to a stand in front of Ranjoor Singh. "I have
changed my mind!"
"The horses are ready," answered Ranjoor Singh.
"The German government has been to huge expense to provide aid of the
right kind, to be ready at the right minute. My sole business is to see
that the utmost use is made of it."
"That also is my sole business!" vowed Ranjoor Singh.
"You have heard that the police are after me?"
Ranjoor Singh nodded.
"Can you get away from here unseen--unknown to the police?"
Ranjoor Singh nodded again, for he was very sure of Yasmini's resource.
Again the German began to pace the room, now with his hands behind him,
now with folded arms, now with his chin down to his breast, and now
with a high chin as he seemed on the verge of reaching some
determination. And then Yasmini began to loose the flood of her
resources, that Ranjoor Singh might make use of what he chose; she was
satisfied to leave the German in the Sikh's hands and to squander aid
at random.
Men began to come in, one at a time. They would whisper to Ranjoor
Singh, and hurry out again. Some of them would whisper to Yasmini over
in the window, and she would give them mock messages to carry, very
seriously. Babu Sita Ram was stirred out of a meditative coma and sent
hurrying away, to come back after a little while and wring his hands.
He ran over to Yasmini.
"It is awful!" he wailed. "Soon there will be no troops left with which
to quell Mohammedan uprising. All loyal troops are leaving, and none
but disloyal men are left behind. The government is mad, and I am veree
much afraid!"
Yasmini quieted him, and Ranjoor Singh, pretending to be busy with
other messengers, noted the effect of the babu's wail on the German. He
judged the "change of mind" had gone far enough.
"We should lose time by following my regiment," he said at last. "There
are now five more regiments ready to mutiny, and they will come to me
to wherever I send for them."
The German's blue eyes gazed into the Sikh's brown ones very shrewdly
and very long. His hand sought the neighborhood of his hip, and dwelt
there a moment longer than the Sikh thought necessary.
"I have decided we must hurry," he said. "I will show you what I have
to show. I will not be taking chances. You must bring a messenger, and
he must go for your mutineers while you stay there with me. When we are
there, you will be in my power until the regiments come; and when they
come I will surrender to you. Do you agree?"
"Yes," said Ranjoor Singh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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