Raikes complied with a statement of his careful precautions; the watch of his sister upon the doorway during his absence, and his visits to the room of the Sepoy.
“The Sepoy?” inquired Gratz. “Why do you call him that?”
“On account of his swarthy complexion, his bright eyes, and his general alien aspect,” replied Robert.
“Describe him to me as carefully as you can,” said Gratz.
When Robert had concluded his brief delineation, Raikes hastened to inquire: “Why do you ask about him so particularly? He could no more enter my room, under the conditions I have described to you, than you could.”
“I realize that,” admitted the detective, “but I gather from what you have just said that you visit this Sepoy, as you call him, with some degree of regularity. May I ask if you have business transactions with him?”
“I have not,” replied Raikes.
Then, in response to the unchanging look of inquiry in the countenance of the detective, he added:
“The Sepoy has been telling me an extraordinary story. It has been too elaborate to confine to one sitting, and my purpose in re-visiting him was to get at the conclusion. It is most interesting, and apparently interminable.”
“Would you object to relating it to me?” inquired Gratz.