“Jolly refreshing to meet after some years in the East, isn’t it? I wonder if this crowd are the original Sakae? Were they supposed to be white?” I asked.
“I fancy so. At least, the old writers differentiate between them and the Indians, whom Arrian refers to as being ‘blacker than any other men except the Æthiopians.’ If the Sakae were dark, they’d have mentioned it. But this girl is as white as you or me, and you’d remark on her fairness even in England. I wonder who they can be. Not pure Greek, I’m sure, if they’re all like her.”
He handed me the stuff he had made up, closed his case, and called to Firoz, who came up with his rifle slung over his shoulder, Payindah’s chaplis and poshtin, our second thermos and a bundle, presumably food. Forsyth got his rifle, slung on a bandolier, and the two set off. I set Sadiq to roping up the loads, so as to be ready to move quickly if necessary, and then I went into the tent.
The girl was still awake so I lit the lantern which I had brought, for it was getting dark. Her colour had come back a lot now, and I realized more than I had before how really beautiful she must be when she was well.
“Are you warm enough?” I asked. The evenings were getting chilly, and a cold wind had sprung up.
“Yes; quite warm now, thank you.”
“Well, anyway, I’ll put this rug over your feet, so that you can pull it up later if you feel cold.”
I took the rug off Wrexham’s bedding and spread it over the end of her bed. Then I began to pull out the two other bedding-rolls.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Taking our bedding outside,” said I.