"You are a little impatient, Captain. I was about to tell you that a half company of askaris went in pursuit of him the same night he left your plantation--while you were making your way here. You left next morning, you remember, or you would have known that our men were checked in the forest----" "Checked? By a horde of untrained niggers?" "Commanded by your cub of an Englishman. They were checked; only temporarily, of course; the lieutenant did not know what force he had against him, and acted with prudence as a good soldier should. But when he pushed on to the nullah, he found that fortification had already been begun. The entrance of the nullah was defended by a formidable breastwork, and to capture the place would have taken a longer time than he had to dispose of: he was under orders for Abercorn." "But surely----" "Let me finish, Captain. There was a breastwork, as I say; and I am very much mistaken if between then and now the boy has not added to his defences. It is a mistake to despise one’s enemy, Reinecke, even an Englishman. Lieutenant Obermann’s opinion--and he is a good man, you know--is that the nullah, properly defended, could not be reduced by less than a couple of companies of good troops--unless it could be surprised; and since the fellow draws scouts from all the niggers in the neighbourhood there’s little chance of that. Two companies could not be detached from our frontier posts without a risk which the colonel was unwilling to run. He is not blind to all the considerations you put so forcibly just now; but his decision was, to wait until the general situation eased, then to take measures to stamp out your Englishman and his mutineers as one would destroy a nest of vipers." "Yes, hang the lot." "The Englishman?" "Why not? He is a spy. The spy’s fate is to be hanged." "Quite so. And I am sure we can depend on you, Captain, to supply a good rope--even for your partner." Reinecke turned angrily towards the major, whose attitude throughout the interview had been very unsatisfactory, and in whose tone he had caught a hint of contempt. But the explosion that seemed imminent was prevented by a knock at the door and the entrance of the major’s servant. The man saluted formally, and announced that an Arab was enquiring for Captain Reinecke. "Send him in," said the major: "unless you would prefer to see him at your own quarters, Captain." "No. Why should I meet an Arab secretly?" said Reinecke with irritation. "Let him come in." There entered a lean, haggard Arab, in worn and tattered dress, with one arm in a sling. He bowed to the officers. "Haroun!" cried Reinecke. "I hardly knew you ... It is one of my overseers, Major ... Where have you been?"