“Russell told you that, sir!” Tynan replied with an air of great surprise. “He must have misunderstood me completely.”
Tynan had forgotten his unlucky remark, and bitterly he repented the cowardice that had landed him in this net. It was the old story of the first easy lie that had to be supported and buttressed by innumerable untruths.
“Not Pir Baksh, sir,” he continued hastily. “It was Abdul Din who shot Colonel Woodburn. I think I see how it was. When they were attacking us, Abdul Din stood by the side of Pir Baksh, and when I pointed, saying, ‘That’s the fellow who fired the shot!’ they must have thought I meant Pir Baksh.”
“Oh!”
His hearers hardly knew what to think. Tynan’s tale was plausible enough, and Ted might easily have been mistaken. Perhaps after all Pir Baksh had been judged too hastily, and had been less of a scoundrel than they had imagined. He had always seemed a friendly fellow, apparently proud of his regiment.
“And after your rescue by the Gurkhas?” asked Colonel Woodburn.
“I had the fever for at least a fortnight, sir. My first thought when I heard that Aurungpore was saved was to report myself, and I received orders from Colonel Bratherton at Jehanabad to take Pir Baksh with me, as an investigation of his conduct must be held by his C.O. We were to have accompanied the 49th Punjabis, but at the last moment they were ordered to Delhi, so I was told to wait for this draft and bring them here.”
“I suppose,” asked Colonel Woodburn “that some enquiry was held, considering the suspicious conduct of Pir Baksh at the moment of your rescue?”
“Yes, sir;” and Tynan’s agitation increased. “I have to hand you the statement signed by the officer whose men rescued me, and of course the subadar’s character must be cleared.”
He handed various documents to the major, and broke into a perspiration as he anticipated the coming amazement, incredulity, and growing suspicion. He hated Ethel Woodburn for being there, and would have given anything to have induced her to leave.