They realized then that they were an odd group as it was—too odd to be using English as a common language. Biff, whose features didn't properly match his Sikh's costume; Kamuka, who might have come from an upcountry tribe, but was wearing European clothes; Chandra, who with his dhoti and jacket, looked like a jadoo wallah's boy, which was exactly what he was, and therefore the most outlandish of the trio.
In short, they were attracting too much attention. Biff and Kamuka promptly subsided. Biff, particularly, felt that he should show some dignity, so he did, by looking squarely at the other passengers, until he caught the eye of a distinguished-looking man across the aisle.
The man had a large beard and a huge turban, which marked him as a Sikh, and a genuine one. He was studying Biff with sharp eyes that continued their piercing probe until the bus reached Howrah Station. Then, as they were stepping from the bus, the bearded Sikh suddenly spoke to Biff in what was their own common language, except that Biff couldn't understand a word of it.
All that saved Biff was a surge of the crowd, with people pushing one way, then another, cutting him off from the bearded Sikh. Next, Biff was on the outskirts of the milling throng, and Chandra was yanking him away, along with Kamuka.
"Thanks, Chandra!" Biff gasped. "If you hadn't dragged me out of that jam, the Sikh would have known I was a fake—"
"That wasn't why!" returned Chandra. "That wouldn't have bothered us. Maybe you're a fake, but he's a bigger one. I saw his beard close enough to know."
Biff looked back and saw that Chandra was right. Caught in the crowd, the man with the big turban wasn't trying to follow the three boys; in fact, he couldn't even see them. The reason was that his false beard had been pulled up over his eyes, and he was madly trying to straighten it.
Hand in his pocket, Biff was gripping the packet that he had transferred from his own clothes, wondering if the Light of the Lama again had saved him from an enemy!
V
Danger at Dawn
Right then, Biff's one hope was that he and his two companions could lose themselves in another and bigger crowd and thus dodge the disguised stranger who was so intent upon following them.