Still less so, because, if those immediately responsible had been true to their salt, all this information would have been in the strong hands of authorities hours ago.
That it had not been so when he left the club, Jack Raymond felt sure. Why! he had seen the city magistrate there reading the Illustrated London News!
'Who is in it? Who is working it? Come, hurry up!' he asked, with a significant dropping of the whip-lash.
Govind squirmed horribly, but protested ignorance. It was not that sort of trouble. No one had thought of it twenty-four hours ago, in spite of all the talk, all the misfortunes, in spite even of the conspirings. It had come of itself.
That was true, the listener knew. This sort of thing always did; but there were always people to help it on, and every hour that had been lost had increased the aiders and abettors. By now, half the city might be implicated.
He took out another thousand-rupee note and held it out.
'Take me to the most likely scoundrel,' he said briefly. 'You understand!'
Govind understood perfectly, and from abject terror passed to such infernal, such jubilant betrayal, that Jack Raymond put his hands and his whip behind his back in fear of using them. For he was going to see this thing through. He had still two thousand-rupee notes in his betting-book, and that in a native city meant much; the only caution necessary being not to bribe the wrong person.
He passed out into the bazaar with Govind, feeling a curious sense of power, a vast antagonism. He would be wise, he felt, to assure himself absolutely as to the trend any disturbance would take before going with his information to those who could checkmate it; for, he thought rapidly, a few companies of the native soldiers who were at hand could easily stave off action until proper arrangements could be made.
'It is among the railway people, Protector of the Poor,' said Govind fulsomely--he had reverted absolutely to Hindustani, its ways and works--'that there is most turbulence. For the reason that there is a baboo in charge of works, so there is little fear among them. Then the Bengâlis--they have a dispensary of their own, with a saint who works miracles; so they----'