"Wait a moment, Jemadar," said he, "till I can speak: I have run hard."
"Here, drink some water: it will compose you. What has happened. Is there any alarm?"
"Ah, no alarm," replied the lad, "but listen. I went as fast as I could without running, for I thought if I appeared out of breath when I reached him he might suspect something; so when I got to the town gate, I walked slowly till I reached his shop. He was busy frying kabobs for some travellers, and told me to go into his private room and wait for him. In a short time he came to me.
"'Well,' said he, 'what news? Why have you come? The bunij is safe; it was but just now that one of your scouts came and said he had heard orders given for his departure to-morrow. What do you want?'
"So I repeated your message, word for word as you delivered it to me, and he seemed much agitated. He walked up and down the room for some time, talking to himself, and I could hear the words 'Ganesha,' 'treachery,' once or twice repeated. So at last I grew tired of this, and said to him, 'I cannot wait, I have orders to return immediately: will you come or not?' and this stopped him; he turned round and looked at me severely—
"'Tell me,' said he, 'young man, was Motee-ram present when this message was delivered?'
"'No, he was not,' I replied.
"'Did he know it?'
"'No; he had not returned from the town when I received it; at any rate, neither I nor the Jemadar Sahib saw him.'
"'Was Peer Khan present?'